Transport Minister Seamus Brennan has said he expects legislation on the break-up of Aer Rianta to be enacted before the Dail's summer recess. He told RTE radio he hoped the legislation would be before the Dail in the next few weeks.
Minister Brennan added that he was still 'fully committed' to the idea of a second terminal at Dublin Airport.
He was speaking on his arrival from the US, where he met US Secretary of State for Transport Norman Mineta.
The Minister said the first part of an 'open skies' agreement between the US and the EU could be agreed by October of this year. Open skies would remove all restrictions on European airlines flying to the US, but it is also likely to have implications for the Shannon stopover.
The Minister said he understood it would be a two-stage agreement. EU transport ministers will be asked to agree on the first step - dealing with ownership of airlines and some access issues - in June. But he said the Irish Government would not agree to anything that would not give 'breathing space' to allow Shannon airport adjust to the new market.
"It is difficult to see how the future of Shannon and the region can be 'copper fastened' as Seamas Brennan says, if the Shannon bilateral agreement is ended", said Michael Halpenny, SIPTU's national industrial secretary, responding to the minister in a statement.
Mr. Halpenny said that the bilateral agreement was of vital importance to the Shannon region and the West of Ireland and said that the Unions have a commitment from the Taoiseach and the government that they will be provided with full access to all the relevant information before there is any move on legislation.
