The Catholic and Church of Ireland Bishops of the mid-west region are supporting calls for the reversal of the Aer Lingus decision to halt its service from Shannon to Heathrow.
In a joint statement to be distributed at Masses and Church services in the region tomorrow the Bishops describe the plan as very damaging.
They say they feel it is their duty to point out that public policy and private companies must have regard to their moral obligations and not just short-term commercial ones.
Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion has said he believes that many of the claims coming from lobby groups in the Shannon region have been exaggerated.
Meanwhile, the Government was told today it cannot be excluded from accountability for the decision of Aer Lingus to end its Shannon to Heathrow service.
Twenty-five people, including Clare County councillors, county managers and representatives of IBEC held a special meeting in Ennis this afternoon, maintaining pressure on the Government to intervene in the airline's decision.
The airline has yet to issue a public response to a request put to it by the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey. The Minister asked Aer Lingus to contact groups affected by the change to explain its decision.
In a RTÉ News interview, Mr Dempsey said he had asked Aer Lingus to say if it was willing to change its mind.
However, the Minister has been criticised for claiming that some people in the Mid-West region might be exaggerating the impact of the decision by Aer Lingus.
Mr Dempsey also said that while the company's move was not in line with the Government's regional policy it was made by Aer Lingus on a commercial basis.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TD, Timmy Dooley, has said the Government must provide a solution to such a critically important issue.
Mr Dooley said he had had robust exchanges with the Minister on the issue.
Farm groups pledge to help fight for restoration
Two farming organisations have joined the campaign for the reversal of the decision to end the Shannon to Heathrow service.
Both the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association and the Irish Cattle and Sheepowners Association have pledged to fight the restoration of the service.
The two associations have a combined membership of some 50,000 farmers.
