Councillors based in the mid-west region could hamper Government plans to get a Yes vote in the Nice Treaty referendum if the future of Shannon Airport is not secured.
The warning came as local representatives were told that Aer Lingus plans to pull major services at Shannon and as passenger numbers are expected to plummet by 71,000 during the winter period.
Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary council representatives on the Midwest Regional Authority are prepared to use the Nice Treaty as a bargaining tool to secure Shannon Airport's future.
The Midwest Regional Authority is seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, about the future status of Shannon Airport.
At the authority's a.g.m., held at the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh, councillors indicated they were prepared to campaign for a No vote in the referendum if the Government failed to give a commitment to secure the future of Shannon Airport and its services.
Mr Joe Leddin, a Limerick city councillor and a member of the European Committee of the Regions, said "the future economic stability in the region depends on Shannon Airport" and if Shannon was not protected, "we will actively canvass for a No vote" in the mid-west. "The carrot of Nice may well come into play."
Mr Leddin's threat came after planned Aer Lingus cuts at Shannon were raised by Mr Peter Considine, a Clare councillor, at the authority's a.g.m. yesterday.
Mr Considine called for a delegation to meet Mr Brennan to discuss the future of Shannon.
"Any downgrading of Shannon would have an enormous knock- on effect on the whole mid-west region. There are untold consequences for the workforce and enormous consequences on the tourism industry from Cork to Donegal," said Mr Considine.
Mr Tom Kirby, director of the Midwest Regional Authority, told the meeting that major flights from and to Shannon would be transferred to Dublin.
He said EI111 flights would transfer to Dublin, flights to and from Los Angeles would begin and end in Dublin, certain flights to Boston would be discontinued, and pre-clearance of passengers at Shannon was in jeopardy.
He said these changes could mean job losses in the kitchens at Shannon and would have a negative impact on Aer Aran's Shannon-to-Dublin service.
Mr Kirby also stressed Aer Lingus had no aircraft servicing commitments at Shannon Airport after December and that crews would be relocated to Dublin.
Clare-based Independent TD Mr James Breen said the future of Shannon Airport must be secured before councillors would campaign for a Yes vote on Nice. "We will not campaign for a Yes vote in the Nice Treaty if Aer Lingus are hell bent on getting out of Shannon. If we bargain the No vote, the Government won't let them out of Shannon."
Mr James Houlihan of Limerick County Council said the future of Shannon was inextricably linked with the success of the region. He said it called into question the Government's commitment to regional development.
Fianna Fáil TD for North Tipperary, Ms Máire Hoctor, said the proposed downgrading of Shannon Airport would have a massive impact on Clare, Limerick and north Tipperary.
Ms Hoctor said it was important that the regional authority was pro-active in relation to the matter and that the future of the Airport was "too important and serious to ignore".