Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and raises its position within my Department assiduously and regularly. As it also has the active support of the Taoiseach and Deputies O'Mahony and Mulherin, the airport receives an appropriate and ongoing amount of focus from me.

To deal with the analysis Deputy Naughten has laid out regarding the regional importance of the airport, I accept his point that its importance stretches well beyond the local importance it may have within its county and that it meets regional needs. On the basis of the performance the airport put in last year, with over 700,000 passengers going through its doors, it is delivering a very strong mandate in regard to proposed growth.

I have regular contact, through my officials, with the European Commission on the overall airports programme to respond to the needs of Knock and other airports to ensure their continued growth into the future.

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