Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Last December, I announced the deferral until 2011 of a decision on the separation of the three State airports under the State Airports Act 2004, given the difficulties in the aviation market. Up to that time, the boards of Cork and Shannon airports were required to finalise business plans for eventual separation for approval by both the Ministers for Transport and Finance. This necessitated the procurement of advice from consultants at a cost of €334,000 on the financial and operational readiness of the airports for separation. This advice related to an assessment of the financial and other conditions necessary to facilitate separation, the evaluation of business plans and the resolution of certain issues identified in the business planning process. Professional advice was necessary to enable me to make an informed decision regarding the separation.

The two major elements comprised work undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers at a cost of €292,000 on aspects of State airport business planning and additional work, costing €42,000, undertaken by Mr. Peter Cassells that mainly dealt with the treatment of Cork Airport's debt in the context of separation.

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