Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised)

2:30 pm

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Yes. The increasing capital costs to which the Deputy referred are for some safety-related improvements that are required in certain places. The question of insurance policies was examined. It has been provisionally included because there was a larger outturn last year, but we expect it will not be 20% over; we believe it will fall back. The non-pay administration costs that arose were mostly related to the EU Presidency.

Deputy Elllis asked the same question on the non-pay figure. Miscellaneous aviation services relates to various subscriptions that we must make to various European and international organisations in the aviation area because of the relationships that have to be managed and the organisations that we must be a part of. That is part of the overall aviation provision.

Deputy Fleming raised a query about Kerry. The PSO will continue, as I have stated, and the position is the same as for the other airports. All the regional airports are, in one way or another, competing with one another for services and for this reason we monitor the level of co-operation. They are all competing for passenger services.

As the Vice Chairman is aware, there is a plan in place for Knock Airport and we expect a report in the coming months. I imagine the Vice Chairman is well up to speed on that. The traffic numbers to which the Vice Chairman referred are the total numbers for all the regional airports. They vary from time to time for various reasons. There was nothing too concerning in those figures from a departmental point of view.