Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I am hugely committed to the development of airports, in particular regional airports. That is the reason I believe we need to secure funding, as I did — over €100 million — in Transport 21. The Minister for Finance is equally committed to regionalisation and our regional structures. We see airports as key to that.

I am happy to fund the projects outlined by the Deputy. In February 2005, I approved the moneys and costings for what is required on the technical side. Unfortunately, I have not got back the final proposals from the airport, which is not my fault. I want to spend a substantial amount of capital moneys on further enhancement. Knock airport has a big future and local and business communities have been correct in identifying that. We will work on that.

I wish to point out something that applies to all the airports. Because of the consequences of issues that arose from the Ryanair case regarding subventions and moneys and grants to regional airports, the European Union has issued stringent new rules on state aids which make matters difficult with regard to how Governments put moneys into airports. That said, I am confident we will be able to support the regional airports in Knock, Waterford, Kerry etc. I want to do that. I strongly believe in the spatial strategy and the benefits regional airports bring economically into regions, from both the business and tourism perspective. This can and will be done.

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