Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Thank you Chairman. The €2.7 million that was recently allocated to the regional airports is very welcome. However, given that under EU state aid rules, grant aid can only be provided up to a maximum of 75%, is the Minister confident that the regional airports are in a position to generate the remaining 25% themselves in order to be able to draw down that funding? In his speech, the Minister alluded to the "possible" draw down. Will the regional airports have the capacity to draw down this much needed money? In the event that they do not have such capacity, what is the Department's alternative plan to support the regional airports? Allocating money to an airport which does not have the capacity to draw it down is about as useful as a tit on a bull, if the Minister does not mind me saying so. I look forward to his reply on that matter.

There is no mention in the section on the aviation programme of the Dublin Airport Authority's proposal for a second runway, which is critically important. The Minister alluded earlier to the capacity issues at Dublin Airport and I ask him to expand on that matter.

Is the sports capital programme going ahead? A simple "yes" or "no" will suffice. If it is going ahead, what is the relevant date? How are we getting on with our bid for the Rugby World Cup?

On the tourism programme, recently Tourism Ireland sought tenders for the marketing of the lakelands as a third brand. To my surprise, some of the counties with the greatest numbers of lakes were excluded from the tender documents. What are the qualifying criteria to be met by the counties which will be promoted under the three main marketing brands, namely, the lakelands strategy, Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way? Without a comprehensive marketing plan in each of the respective areas, the tourism sector will be challenged.