Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

NESC has just published the findings of focus group work undertaken in the north-west on the experiences of people in the Border areas under the themes of sustainability and connectivity. Indeed, connectivity concerns are at the heart of this work. The Taoiseach met with a cross-party delegation of councillors from Donegal, Derry and Strabane earlier this year. During that meeting, the issue of the funding for City of Derry Airport was put to him. Some 40% of passengers who use Derry Airport are from County Donegal, unsurprisingly. It has connections to London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and other places. Reopening the Derry to Dublin air route would create enormous opportunities for the north-west. At that meeting, the Taoiseach agreed to engage further with the Minister for Transport on these matters and noted the Government's interest in working with the aviation authorities and airlines to get this service going. What progress has been made on that matter?

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