Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I will get the figures for the capital expenditure, CapEx, the operational expenditure, OpEx, and the PSO. With regard to the PSO, the airports are not dependent on the PSO alone. The PSO to which the Deputy referred is paid directly to the airlines rather than the airports. Obviously, it is a help to the airports because once there are passengers flying in and out, there is an income from that. However, the PSO is paid to airlines and not airports. The other two schemes in question are the OpEx and CapEx subsidies, which are paid directly to the airport. These are subject to a value for money review, but no decisions have been made in that regard yet.

With regard to regional airports generally, questions must be asked, particularly in the current economic climate. We have nine of these airports, from Derry down to Waterford - one State airport and nine regional airports - and must question the feasibility of keeping them all operational with PSO support. We must also question whether the limited funds we have available should be spread out over the eight regional airports and whether this will hasten the demise of all of them. Perhaps we should decide which are the more strategically important from the point of view of tourism, access and regional development and decide to support them.

See this speech in context