Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My priority is to ensure that we can maintain regional connectivity. Shannon Airport is critical for the mid-west. I am constantly reviewing this matter. Shannon meets the criteria for the regional airports programme - it has scheduled flights and its passenger numbers are what they have been for two years in a row. We must ensure that we maintain Shannon Airport and that it thrives and develops as we come out of the pandemic. In 2021, €22.4 million went to Shannon Airport in current capital funding under the regional airports programme and the Covid supplementary support scheme, which allowed the airport to negotiate with airlines directly and to do the business it does best. It was not just a case of the Government giving money. The regional airports are commercial entities and they, including Shannon, were functioning well before Covid. The funding went to them to increase their connectivity. Under the regional airports programme, Shannon has received €4.3 million in capital allocations this year.

I am committed to ensuring that Shannon is supported as we leave the pandemic. We are not out of it fully yet. Passenger numbers are increasing in Dublin Airport, as they are in Shannon Airport, but we are constantly examining this matter in order to ensure that Shannon is getting the supports it needs for aviation and connectivity. I am from the west, so I understand the situation well and know the importance of having the airport for foreign direct investment, tourism and so on in the region. I am preaching to the converted.