John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not need to remind the Minister of the critical nature of this infrastructure for the region. A major report prepared in 2010 found that Waterford Airport supports up to 560 jobs, with 85% of businesses in the south east stating that direct access to the region was crucial to their operations. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation recently admitted that the IDA is having trouble attracting foreign direct investment to Waterford. Our high unemployment rate underpins this. The lack of a proper runway and the absence of a London route is a pivotal factor in the difficulty in attracting investment. If the matching funds of €850,000 cannot be found - I am not saying that will be the case but it is important to get clarity - what position would the Government take in regard to its promise to provide €400,000 in funding? Would it be able to increase its funding?

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