The future role of Shannon Development is expected to become clearer shortly when its board meets the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Martin.
The Minister said the agency's board had already agreed, however, that its activities should be focused in future on generating business for Shannon Airport.
It currently has a much wider remit to generate industry, tourism and regional development in Clare and Limerick as well as parts of Kerry, Tipperary and Offaly. The board expressed strong opposition this year to a proposed shake-up of its activities by Mr Martin's predecessor, the Tánaiste, Ms Harney.
The proposals, which included transferring control of the Shannon free zone to the new Shannon Airport Authority, were described by the agency as a "disaster" for the region.
Its future role has been placed in doubt, however, because of a number of factors. These include the recommendation of the Enterprise Strategy Group, which reported to the Government in July, that Shannon Development disengage from industrial development functions. It said these should be left to the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, which is due to relocate to Shannon under the Government's decentralisation programme.
Mr Martin said a working group set up by Ms Harney to examine the agency's future role had still not completed its work, but he had reviewed its deliberations and was now "actively pursuing" the matter. In a written Dáil reply to a question by Labour TD Ms Jan O'Sullivan, Mr Martin said the agency fully supported the decision to establish an independent airport authority for Shannon. "They further agree that the company should refocus its activities on the airport with a view to generating business for the airport and [Shannon Development's] assets should be used to support the airport authority, particularly in its early, vulnerable years."
The working group set up by Ms Harney had been asked to examine the specific issue of how the agency could best contribute to the airport's development.
The Minister said his schedule had not yet permitted a meeting with Shannon Development's board, but he expected such a meeting would take place shortly.
