Madam, - Thank heavens for the voices of wisdom and moderation from Kieran Mulvey of the Labour Relations Commission and Minister for Education Mary Hanafin ( The Irish Times, August 17th).
A few observations: the mid-west region has major advantages over most areas of the country.
1.It has the very reputable University of Limerick and Limerick IT.
2.Many successful multinational corporations are located there.
3.It has its own dedicated investment agency, SFADCo.
4.It is the centre of a very strong tourist industry.
5.It has benefited from many millions of euro in taxpayers' money in grants of various kinds since the 1950s.
6.Because of political muscle, it has been able to milk the compulsory stop-over for flights from the US for years, subjecting many travellers to early morning misery as they waited in dingy conditions in Shannon Airport.
Would it be too much to ask the various lobbies there to devote their energies to developing the potential of the region's considerable assets instead of throwing childish tantrums because one airline discontinues a few services for good commercial reasons?
Could I suggest that they use their reputed business acumen and political influence to formulate a strategic plan for shifting the concentration of economic development of this country from Dublin westwards, in the coherent and balanced manner recommended on many occasions by Dr Ed Walsh, former president of UL? - Yours, etc,
JOE O'MAHONY, Clonard Drive, Sandyford, Dublin 16.
Madam, - The response from the mid-west to Aer Lingus's decision on the Shannon-Heathrow route has been nothing short of hysterical, with local politicians such as Minister Willie O'Dea making idiotic references to "Cromwell" and "Armageddon".
I will not even attempt to comment on the fact that someone capable of such moronic commentary sits at the Cabinet table. However, it should be noted that Shannon Airport is no stranger to such hysterics. For the past 20 years we were told that the ludicrous "stop-over" was essential to prevent the economic collapse of the entire west of Ireland!
Unfortunately, Shannon and its local politicians appear to believe that the taxpayers of Ireland and a publicly quoted company owe them a living. This pathetic sense of entitlement used to be a hallmark of the public sector mindset in this country. Such thinking kept us in the economic doldrums for decades.
Shannon and its spokespersons need to learn to compete in the free market. Instead they appear to believe that the State should come to their rescue.
To use a west of Ireland phrase, "Cop yourselves on, lads." - Yours, etc,
Dr RUAIRI HANLEY, Francis Street, Drogheda, Co Louth.
Madam, - One must ask why our servants in Government retained a 25 per cent share in Aer Lingus. Hardly as a small investment on behalf of the people of Ireland. Rather, it was to retain some degree of influence in the running of the company - and to comfort the people on whose behalf the shares are held that rampant capitalism would not rule OK.
Now that a major company policy change has been made, the Government should express its views on our behalf. That, after all, is what we pay it for. The public view has been made very clearly. Ryanair has offered a way out, but the Government whom we employ to do our bidding says it will not interfere on our behalf.
So why hold any shareholding at all? Why take a view when Ryanair tries to buy Aer Lingus, but not now? - Yours, etc,
ANDREW DILLON, Coolmoreen, Innishannon, Co Cork.
Madam, - I suspect that a pilots' strike would have a bigger impact on the economy than the Shannon-Heathrow route change.
According to CSO figures, the population of Clare, Limerick, and north Tipperary is 361,000 in total (111,000, 184,000 and 66,000 respectively). This is about 9 per cent of the 4.2 million people in the State. The latest CSO data also show there are about 237,000 people employed in the industrial sector in the State. Using the share of total population, this implies an estimate of about 20,000 employed (outside farming, home production and Government) in Clare, Limerick and north Tipperary. Surely the total number affected by the route change is but a fraction of this.
It is more difficult to estimate the impact of the strike, as knock-on effects across airlines and businesses will occur. According to Aer Lingus's annual report 2006, the airline carried about 8.6 million passengers or about 47,000 in two days on average. - Yours, etc,
GREG SWINAND, Dublin 2.
Madam, - Yesterday's edition reports that the "Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley said last night the Aer Lingus decision to end the Shannon-Heathrow route was not in line with Government policy on regional development". In his infinite green wisdom and consistency, maybe Mr Gormley will proceed now to make judgment on all business corporations as to whether or not they are in line with regional development.
Politicians and business people in the Shannon area are doing a pretty good job at demolishing the region's reputation for being able to be compete and be successful. They talk about "our national airline". Being a company in which the Irish people happen to have a shareholding does not make any more "national" than, say, Ryanair.
Portraying such a negative image of Shannon's future can turn into a self-fulfilling prophesy. Why on earth are the movers and shakers of the Shannon region and airport not highlighting their vibrant business and economic activities and using the media focus generated by the Aer Lingus decision for that end? - Yours, etc,
MONICA MULLER, Rossport, Co Mayo.
Madam, - For colleagues elsewhere in Ireland who may be wondering what all the fuss is about, I'd like to present the results of a small experiment.
Using a popular travel planning website, I sought to book the following fairly typical journeys, first for September 2007 and then, with the revised schedules, for March 2008.
1.A two-day trip to Brussels. In September, 70 options starting from €332. Same trip next March: "We have nothing that matches your search."
2.A two-day trip to Berlin. In September, 26 options starting at €346. Same trip next March: "We have nothing that matches your search."
3.A two-day trip to Amsterdam. In September, 64 options starting at €336. Same trip next March: eight options starting at €1217.
4.A one-week trip to Tokyo. In September, 14 options starting at €802. Same trip next March: three options starting at €4352 ("economy" class). Anyone who has business links in Europe or the Far East should appreciate our concern at losing affordable connections to the markets we wish to serve. - Yours, etc,
Prof KEVIN RYAN, Castletroy Heights, Limerick.
Madam, - Will someone in charge please free Willie O'Dea from the airwaves and release the Parknasilla One? - Yours, etc,
PATRICK O'BYRNE, Shandon Crescent, Dublin 7.
Madam, - What reaction would the Minister for Transport provoke if he told the travelling public of the east coast that Gatwick, Stansted and Luton are London and that they make do with Paris to access "tout le monde"? - Yours, etc,
NEIL BENNETT, South Circular Road, Limerick.