Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It will come down to the commercial realities on the ground and we will have to wait and see where all of that goes. There is significant private investment and the taxpayer is not going to be on the hook for major money. As the taxpayer has certainly put major money into other aspects of regional aviation and nothing into Waterford, what is going in there will be a drop in the ocean to be frank.

On the European regulation, Mr. O'Leary stated 20% of fuel will be saved by direct flying and 90% of flight delays will be removed. On the basis that those statistics are correct, has the EU taken them on board? There are considerable implications for carbon reduction at the outset. How can this be pressed at European level?