Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

The question relates to practical assistance for Galway and Sligo airports. As I announced on 7 June, the Government has agreed to provide practical assistance in the form of additional funding to Galway and Sligo airports in 2011, along with the other four airports at Donegal, Ireland West at Knock, Kerry and Waterford. This involves providing an additional €5.9 million on top of the €13.4 million already allocated to the regional airports for this year by the last Government to cover operational and capital expenditure.

The Deputy will be aware that when I took office, I discovered that the previous Government had left my Department with just €600,000 for operational funding at all six airports. This was in spite of the disingenuous Government decision last February to fund all of the airports for the whole of 2011 without allocating the necessary funding. The €5.9 million allocation reverses the cut made in funding by that Government and involves making reductions on a once-off basis in other areas within my Department.

As the Deputy is aware, I will not be in a position to provide operational or capital funding to Galway or Sligo airports from 2012 onwards. This decision was necessary to make best use of scarce Exchequer resources and to ensure the efficient use of taxpayers' money. The aim is to ensure that Ireland has an adequate network of regional airports while taking into account significant improvements in road networks, shorter journey times by road and rail, and the collapse in passengers flying domestically. The additional funding being made available to Galway and Sligo airports in 2011 is to provide the airports with the time and space to engage with various parties, including business interests, investors and local authorities, to secure their ongoing viability in some form. I urge the airports concerned to make best use of this time to plan for their future.

See this speech in context