*Rose Hynes and Mary Considine with outgoing Transport Minister Shane Ross. Photograph: Arthur Ellis
Further calls have been made for Rose Hynes to resign as Chairperson of Shannon Group.
Last month, The Clare Echo exclusively reported on Clare TD, Michael McNamara’s (IND) calls for the resignation of Rose Hynes and the entire Board of Shannon Group.
Now Members of Labour’s North Clare branch have joined the call in seeking the departure of the Clare woman and her colleagues on the Board.
Chairperson of the North Clare branch, Denis Vaughan told The Clare Echo that Labour party members were “disgusted” with recent actions at Shannon Airport including difficulties with Aer Lingus which they said has “side-lined Shannon”.
A proven history of Shannon being “a successful host” to many airlines down through the years was referred to by Vaughan as he added to the pleas for change of the airport’s management. “Shannon can survive if its given an even playing field and not sabotaged by Dublin Airport which has in the past included hijacking Ethiopian Airlines, Shannon stopover en route to Los Angeles and other airlines wishing to fly to the Mid West”.
He stated, “The Board of Shannon Group need to stand down as a matter of urgency and be replaced by a group of focused professionals to establish a suitable agenda for the airports survival as the sole issue”.
According to the Ennistymon resident, new Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan (GP) “should sack forthwith the Chair of the Shannon Group Ms Rose Hynes”. He claimed her tenure at Shannon was “a proven disaster”. He added, “She is no Brendan O’Regan. Ms Hynes’ contract expires in July 2020. The Government should buy her a one way air ticket to Tasmania and send her on her way.
“Shannon Airport is a vital asset and infrastructure to the Mid West and Ireland which includes two of the longest runways in the world. This asset must not be wasted and the Shannon Airport crisis must be included in the new Programme for Government negotiations,” Vaughan concluded.