Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

Whatever we do has to be a success and for an airport complex to be a success, it should not be reliant on subventions and should be able to break even, at the very least, and ideally turn a profit. We are moving away from the model of subventing airports. Subvention has had to be removed already from Galway and Sligo Airports as a result of cutbacks in public expenditure. The other regional airports have been informed that they will be expected to break even on an operational basis by 2014. Neither Shannon nor Cork Airports receive Exchequer moneys but I suppose one could argue that they receive an indirect subvention as being part of the DAA Group. If any model is to be a success, whether it is a CIE type model or independence, it is not a success if an ongoing subsidy or subvention is required. All of these airports should be able to turn a profit and at least break even. If it is the case that an interim arrangement is needed, so be it but the objective in the medium to long term should be a vibrant, profitable successful airport complex with many employees creating employment and revenues for the region and not something that is dependent on other people's labours, taxes and revenues just to exist.

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