Mark Duffy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. I have listened carefully to the contributions. Ireland is a very connected island with a lot of opportunity. I am from County Mayo where we have Ireland West Airport in Knock, which is a brilliant hub for the north west. Last year 824,000 passengers passed through Knock airport with 22 routes across Europe. It has been incredible to see the growth and development of the airport, which serves the whole region.

My question is linked to the opportunity for regional development and improved growth and connectivity for the region. The north-west region has been identified as the sixth worst region in Europe for transport infrastructure. It would probably be bottom of that table if it was not for Knock airport. The area requires much investment and support from a connectivity point of view in order to link in with the airport from a visitors' experience point of view and a commuters' point of view. Are there any constraints or barriers regarding the potential for the future growth of Ireland West Airport in Knock, or are there constraints which need to be addressed or highlighted?