James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his presentation to the committee. The first issue I wish to discuss is Cork Airport. Obviously Covid-19 has had a very negative impact on the whole Cork region, with very few passengers coming in through the airport. In that context, there is an opportunity cost for the Department in not investing in capital infrastructure in Cork Airport, particularly in the runway which needs investment. The current runway is in need of replacement. The airport is worth over €1 billion to the Munster economy and is essential for thousands of jobs in the region. As we are going through this pandemic and airline traffic levels are so low, we have a chance to make a once in a generation investment in repairing and upgrading the runway.