Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 51, 90 and 265 together.

A lot of Deputies have raised this matter. There are questions here from Deputies McGettigan, Cathal Crowe, Quinlivan and Pa Daly. It speaks to the importance, which all of us understand, of our aviation sector. Ireland has done extremely well from a connectivity perspective. For example, Dublin Airport is the fifth best connected airport in Europe. Dublin is being used as a hub and people can connect now through the UAE and via all the additional routes into the USA. That is a positive thing.

I referenced earlier the additional capacity we have in our regional airports. Thankfully we have seen quite significant growth in Shannon and Cork airports. A large investment of €200 million in Cork Airport was announced last week by the Taoiseach.

The national aviation policy that we operate under is the 2015 policy. After ten years it is appropriate that this is reviewed in detail and that we bring forward not just an update but a new aviation policy that would see us good for the next ten years. This is the cycle we are looking at. We have started the work on that. In a response earlier, I mentioned to Deputy O'Hara that we will do a review and an updating of the regional airports' programme for 2026 to 2030. This will encompass aspects particularly in relation to funding and other things we may be able to do there. I am anxious that we do that but I do not want to rush it either. We will need people's input here and we will need the Oireachtas joint committee to input into it also, so I cannot give the Deputies an exact timeline. I am not being evasive; it is just that the work has started. A draft will be prepared and we will publish a draft. I expect there will be input from the Oireachtas joint committee. Stakeholders will want to make an input into that too. What we receive back will also need to be assessed in advance of us actually coming forward with the completed aviation policy. I expect that is probably going to take the rest of this year and into early next year. I would expect that but I do not have a firm timeline on it. We are still growing our airports and the aviation sector. There are new technologies and new businesses coming in as well.

Ireland is highly regarded as a world leader in aviation. That still happens, but this is a process that we need to undertake. I have given a commitment to the House and to the Deputy today. That is something that has commenced and we will be seeking the input of all Deputies to that policy.

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