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Derry City Airport: Will cheap air travel cost the earth?, 4.30pm Saturday 26th May at Sandino's

Friday 26th May 2006

Will cheap air travel cost the earth?

The question will be posed at a pubic meeting in Derry this Saturday afternoon. The meeting, at 4.30pm in Sandino's, has been organised by the Socialist Workers Party. The speaker will be Eamonn McCann.

In a statement, the local SWP said: "All the main political forces have welcomed the announcement that British and Irish taxpayers will foot the bill for expanding City of Derry airport. But the SWP maintains its objection both to the runway project and to the unrestricted expansion of air travel generally.

"We also object to the secrecy surrounding the project. The Freedom of Information ruling that the people are entitled to know the facts has been ignored by the City Council. The SDLP, Sinn Fein and the DUP are unanimous about keeping the people in the dark.

"The main parties have all bought into a model of development which involves them acting as propagandists for business interests. The argument for more runway space originated with Ryanair. The business plans of this anti-union company have taken precedence over the people's right to know what is being done in the name and why.

"The interests and wishes of the people living along the City of Derry flight path have been similarly ignored. Thus, parties which boast of their origins in the fight for civil rights are prepared to have families evicted and their homes demolished, on the say-so of an arrogant private firm and with no accountability to the people.

"The SWP wants a far more wide-ranging debate before tax-payers' money from two jurisdictions is spent on this project. We invite all who want real debate to attend the meeting at Sandino's on Saturday."





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