Up to thirty US Immigration officials and their families have this week commenced relocating to Clare and Limerick ahead of this month’s scheduled opening of pre-clearance facilities for commercial airline passengers flying to the US from Shannon Airport.
Mayor of Clare Tony Mulcahy today received confirmation of the move during an hour-long meeting with the Deputy US Ambassador to Ireland, Mr. Robert J. Faucher.
The new facilities at Shannon Airport are scheduled to be ready by July 29th with similar pre-clearance facilities due to be in place at Dublin airport by November 2010. Currently only US immigration clearance facilities are available at the two airports.
According to Mayor Mulcahy, who is a County Clare and Shannon Town Councillor: “Mr. Faucher, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, today informed me that the process of relocating thirty immigration officials and their families from the United States to the Mid West region of Ireland got underway this week. Housing is presently being sourced in counties Clare and Limerick.”
Commenting on his hour-long meeting with Mr. Faucher at the offices of Clare County Council in Ennis today, the Mayor said: “We both agreed that the new facilities, once operational, will provide a significant boost for tourism and trade between the USA and Ireland. The Deputy Ambassador informed me that Ireland is the tenth highest investment location for US companies. This is especially encouraging in the current economic climate and I have no doubt that the new facilities at Shannon will further enhance commercial links between both countries.”
Mayor Mulcahy said the new pre-clearance facilities would present numerous opportunities to develop transatlantic services at Shannon.
“Shannon will find itself in a unique position whereby US-bound passengers will be able to clear customs in Shannon before flying into any airport in the US without having to unload their luggage, clear customs and have their baggage rechecked. Furthermore, the news that the pre-clearance service at Shannon will be available to passengers on private planes by October will further enhance Shannon Airport’s ability to compete and expand in the increasingly competitive aviation sector. The US Deputy Ambassador expressed his hope to me that this will lay the foundation for the opening up of pre-clearance facilities for cargo operators”, concluded the Mayor.
ABOVE IMAGE: Mayor of Clare Tony Mulcahy (right) pictured with Robert J Faucher, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the United States of America at the office of the Mayor, Clare County Council, Ennis, Co Clare, on Thursday, 09 July 2009. Image by Seán McInerney
