James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. A couple of matters arise. He characterised this as not quite a six-year delay, but a five-year delay from 2019 to 2024. It is fairer to say that it is a six-month engagement, given that a business proposal was received by the Department in December 2023. Elements were missing from that, which required revisiting in April 2024 and further information was received at the end of May 2024. In actual fact, if we look at timelines, it is a six-month engagement.

As the Deputy said, and I echo his sentiment, it is taxpayers' money. It should be subject to due diligence and all the checks and balances under the public spending code and infrastructure guidelines. Finance is a part of it, and the project cost has doubled. It is not the only part, by any means. Information is essential to do a proper, thorough and robust assessment. As an island, connectivity is essential for our economic development and we recognise the huge value of the aviation sector in supporting economic development, international connectivity and tourism in Waterford and the south east. I am very aware of the importance of the airport for all of those reasons.

Aviation fell off a cliff in the period between 2019 and 2024. Covid happened in 2020 and there were two years where we did not have planes in the skies at all. On the part of Waterford Airport, the wider system had other preoccupations in those years as well. I welcome the fact the project has restarted and the information was submitted last December, with further information since. The project has been prioritised by my Department and I give a commitment to follow up on that and take that from today. The increased Exchequer funding of €12 million being sought is being assessed and the proposal is being reviewed by my Department in accordance with its transport appraisal framework and infrastructure guidelines. In accordance with that framework, if a proposal seeks Exchequer funding that has a potential cost of €15 million or more, a sponsoring agency must produce a project outline document to be approved by the approving authority. There is a little more complexity to it. Given the increased costs, it comes into a different range in terms of approvals. That project assessment document will appraise the proposed scheme in line with national and local polities. As I have said, I hear what the Deputy and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler have said and I commit to investigating this further.

See this speech in context