I thank the Deputy and appreciate the points he made about aviation policy nationally. He has been a strong, consistent and persistent advocate for Shannon Airport and I also appreciate his comments on other airports, particularly Cork Airport-----
Sentiment score: 0.68
-----which he referenced in passing. Regional balanced economic growth is a key objective of the Government and connectivity is key to economic development. I take the Deputy's point in respect of the importance of regionally-based airports. There is no question that the cap has to be lifted.
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Very often airlines dictate the pace in respect of where they want to fly into and out of. Capital cities all over the world tend to draw the highest volume of traffic and interest and that has implications for regional locations. As the Deputy will be aware, there was a mid-term review of the current programme for regional airports with high-level outcomes announced in July last year and a public consultation was then undertaken. Shannon Airport benefited to some degree from inclusion in that, along with Cork Airport, Ireland West Airport in Knock, Kerry Airport and Donegal Airport. They continue to be eligible for funding. The potential for the development of an Exchequer funded programme or a commitment to broadening the scope of that programme to airports that handle more than 1 million passengers, which would apply to Shannon Airport, is under consideration by the Minister and the Government. That is an outcome of the review and it is being progressed as a matter of priority. The development of an Exchequer funded start-up aid scheme for airlines to support strategic route development to and from the regions is also being considered. What can we do to incentivise airlines to fly into and out of the regions? We have the 2015 national aviation policy, which established the policy framework for the development of the aviation sector in Ireland. Its principal goals remain valid. However, the Department of Transport has commenced preparatory work on revising that policy and the Minister hopes to publish that in 2026. It will update existing policy in response to developments in the aviation sector and will include a focus on maximising the use of our regional airports in line with commitments made in the programme for Government. In our Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, the Government committed to developing a long-term strategy for Irish airports as part of the review of the national aviation policy, recognising the dependency risk of having a large share of Irish air traffic going through a single airport, as the Deputy articulated. There will be a lot of engagement on that. Tourism Ireland is also keen to promote regional connectivity in terms of the utilisation of the assets we have in the regions.
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Shannon Airport in particular is a significant asset.
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I appreciate the points the Deputy made. I also acknowledge that he is speaking on behalf of 22 Members of the Houses in respect of Shannon Airport. I dealt with the earlier part in terms of the review of aviation policy. Regarding the tourism side of the equation, Tourism Ireland will develop a new strategic air access fund. There is potential to maximise opportunity there in terms of new air routes. The Deputy's overall point is well made. The Ryder Cup is a big win for the mid-west. It is going to be very exciting for sports tourism generally. There will be a huge economic spin-off from that and the Irish Open in Doonbeg. All of that will highlight the infrastructural needs of the area. We have invested a lot in infrastructure in the area to have preparedness for big events of that kind. I will revert to the Deputy in respect of the other issue he raised about the aircraft maintenance proposal. It is not in the gift of the State.
Sentiment score: 0.31