Mr. Fintan Towey:

Waterford has received some funding on an exceptional basis - not formally as a regional airport. It approached the Department at the end of 2017. At that point, unless emergency funding was provided, the airport would have been at risk of entering liquidation. That would have had immediate implications for the continuance of the search and rescue base at the airport. Arising from that, emergency funding was provided to the airport and this has continued on the basis of plans for works that would enable the return of scheduled services put forward by the airport and accepted by the Government. However, arising from changed circumstances, the Minister has confirmed to Waterford Airport that the continuation of funding on that basis would not be possible.