Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

13. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide an update on the review of the National Aviation Policy to maximise the use of our regional airports, as promised in the programme for Government [20950/25]

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

51. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he expects to initiate a review of the National Aviation Policy; the tentative timelines that the review will follow; the details of the way in which stakeholders will be consulted as part of the review process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22501/25]

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

90. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he expects the review of the Government aviation policy to be completed; his plans for airports outside of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22420/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

265. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if work has commenced on a new State aviation policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23074/25]

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We are looking for the new aviation policy to be reviewed. I have heard the Minister say it will be reviewed. I understand that we have to get this right but this clearly needs to be done as a matter of urgency. The Minister has not given us clear timelines on this. Perhaps the Minister could really push this and give us clear timelines.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I understand all of what the Minister has said with regard to what needs to be done. However, I believe the stakeholders would probably say they are already at where they need to be with it, so maybe it could be expedited. Many tourists visiting Ireland travel to the west, and many are brought in by bus. They are brought through Dublin Airport, take a bus to the west and take a bus back up. This is not helping the economy in the mid-west or tourism. It means they do not stay there and contributes to air pollution. In reality, they could have flown directly into Shannon or the west. The positive impacts of regional balance and a national aviation policy will play a part in Shannon Airport. It is a key gateway to the west of Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way. Shannon Airport plays a vital role in promoting regional development by supporting balanced growth across the country. More regional balance will help ease congestion in Dublin and ensure the economic benefits of international connectivity are served nationwide. It will boost tourism, trade and investment in the mid-west, create jobs and drive local prosperity.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As my colleague said, these questions focus on when we can see a review. Does the Minister have any idea when the draft review will be done? When will the review be completed? Shannon Airport is one of the regional airports we will be championing. As the Minister knows, Shannon Airport is the gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way. It serves the mid-west region. As we have said in the past, it is the fulcrum of the prosperity that is in the area, and thousands of people are dependent on Shannon Airport. It is a fantastic airport and is under-used. It has the capacity for up to 5 million people but it does not get anywhere near that many, unfortunately.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am sorry; I have just run up Kildare Street and did not realise my question was part of a grouping. We want to know when the review will happen. Importantly, when someone applies for a landing slot at the moment, it is solely judged through the metric of "Yea" or "Nay". It is either approved or disapproved by the IAA. We could have a regional development criterion to that application. It is unfair that 12 flights a day go from Dublin to Schiphol whereas none goes from Shannon. Hopefully the Minister can review this.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy and will let him take a breath.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A flight from Clare would have made it easier.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It would have. He could have used the bike.

I have answered the Deputy's colleagues earlier. We are updating the national aviation policy and we will be bringing forward a new one, on which I will need all inputs. The Deputy and his colleagues have regularly championed Shannon Airport. Shannon is fine Airport. I raise the growth in the airport since 2019. In 2019, 1.72 million passengers travelled to Shannon Airport. In 2024, the figure was 2.1 million. We are projecting a further increase this year. The Government does not, and I say this respectfully, direct airlines as to where they go; the airlines choose where they go. I met with the Shannon Airport Group, which has a very good management team. It is very anxious to secure new business. The airports have to fight for that business too. We can support the airport through our investment in it. We will be bringing forward a regional airport programme for 2026-2030. The Shannon Airport Group in particular has put forward some specific asks in that regard, which we will consider. I expect the work on the regional airport programme to be concluded this year.

As I mentioned to Deputy McGettigan, we expect the national aviation policy to be published by quarter 1 of 2026. I do not have a firm timeline on it. It is not something that should be rushed, because this aviation policy will be for the next ten years and we need stakeholder engagement on it. It is an opportunity for us as well to look to see how things can be rebalanced. It is not Dublin instead of everything else. Dublin is the 5th best connected airport in Europe. People generally treat it as a destination as well. Shannon has the capacity to grow and accommodate 10 million passengers. Cork can grow further as well, and we want to see that happen. We want to support the airports in that regard.

The Government is committed as well, in the programme for Government, to the lifting of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport. There has been a stay on that, as the Deputy knows, with the ECJ case. That stay is in place for the remainder of this year, and probably the most of next year. We are working on legislative options in that regard. I use this opportunity in the House to continue to encourage DAA to engage with the planning authorities right now, and to engage in a positive way. Aviation is a major growth sector for us. It is critically important, as an island, that we improve our connectivity in what is an uncertain world. I will be looking forward to all interested parties and Deputies feeding into the national aviation policy and the new plan, which we will bring forward.

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome all that the Minister has said. I know he cannot make airlines land in certain airports, but I am sure he can help make the other airports more viable for these airlines to land in. We would welcome working with him in that regard. We have seen the chaos in Dublin Airport. This is not an anti-Dublin Airport statement at all. We welcome the lift on the passenger cap too, but the regional balance needs to be looked at. It is very unfair to have 86% of flights going out of one airport and not the others. As the Minister said earlier, Shannon Airport has seen an increase of 17%. There is room for a further increase; it can go up to 5 million or 10 million, as the Minister stated earlier. Therefore, we need to work on this together, and work on it soon. It is a matter of urgency.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I do not know whether it should be a ten-year strategy for aviation given aviation operates on a seasonal basis. So much can change from a winter to spring period. New routes get set up and some get pulled. It would be better to have a five-year plan with a midway review. I was out of breath earlier as I ran up Kildare Street and did not realise this question had been grouped. I make the point that when an airline seeks to operate a brand-new route, it applies to the Irish Aviation Authority for a slot or a permit. When that permit is lodged, it is approved or disapproved in a matter of weeks. However, Project Ireland 2040 is the bible by which this Government has set out its goals for balanced regional development in healthcare, housing and a whole load of other areas and realms. However, there is no reference to aviation in it. It is wrong that Dublin has an 86% dominance in the aviation market and that airports such as Shannon, Cork and Knock are vying for everything else. It is also wrong that there is hub connectivity 12 times a day from Dublin to Amsterdam Schiphol while there is none from Shannon. Putting a regional development clause in that policy would be transformative in terms of bringing more flights to the west of the country.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Nobody is asking the Minister to rush the review or to do a review that would not be comprehensive, but as he knows, the last review was done ten years ago. People in the mid-west region and in Mayo and Galway are waiting for what the outcome of that review will be. Shannon Airport, as I said, has the capacity to handle 5 million passengers per year. In 2024, it serviced 2.1 million passengers and, therefore, has the capacity to grow. Four members of the Shannon International Airport Oireachtas Group are in the Chamber today. We met recently with the chief executive of Shannon Airport Group. From that meeting, I can verify that the chief executive and the wider group, as the Minister said, are ready and willing to expand their operations if they can get the supports from the Government. I worked in the travel industry for 19 years; I know we cannot tell airlines what to do. However, as my colleague, Deputy McGettigan, said, we can support the airlines and make it more attractive for them. That has to be what we do. We cannot go on with this situation. We are probably the only country in the world where 80% of the flights from the country goes from one airport. That has to change. We have significant capacity for our airports to deal with those issues.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I want to talk to the Minister about the importance of Ireland West Airport, or Knock Airport. I am sure that will be no surprise to the Minister or Ministers of State. I raise the importance of it in terms of the development of the Atlantic economic corridor, particularly the SDZ scheme there. If that is built to its full capacity, it could deliver more than 95,000 sq. m of commercial business and enterprise space and create 4,200 jobs. In the whole geopolitical climate and challenges we are facing at the moment, it is critical that this is done sooner rather than later. I welcome the fact that a project manager was appointed last year, but I ask the Minister for a specific timeline. How does the Government aim to fast-track that development zone in order to enable the further development in the region? Obviously, that includes the western rail corridor, and the connectivity to the airport is hugely important. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, is very familiar with that. I know the Government cannot dictate what flights go where, but will the Minister consider, when talking to Aer Lingus, whether it would be possible for a flight from Heathrow to the west of Ireland to be scheduled on Friday evenings and going back late on Sunday evenings to facilitate all the workers who are commuting to and from London and the region?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her contribution.

In response to Deputy Crowe, I want to see all our airports grow. I would like to see more flights out of Shannon, Cork and Ireland West. We see growth in all those airports as well as further projected growth this year in Cork, Shannon, Ireland West and Kerry and small growth in Donegal. For the information of the House, I am working on the preparatory work on the PSO for the Dublin-Derry route, which was a commitment in the programme for Government and one which got excellent support from the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, particularly through the shared island fund. We are working on that. A Dublin-Derry air route in 2026 is a commitment we would like to see delivered. On an all-island and an all-Ireland basis, it is critical. I have engaged with colleagues in the North on that.

I have met with Shannon Group. I have met with DAA, not just on Dublin but on Cork as well. I will meet representatives of the other regional airports shortly to go through their plans.

In response to Deputy Conway-Walsh, I am familiar with the potential investment there and we want to support that as best we can. Looking at the industrial zones or commercial zones around our airports, the on-campus jobs are critical but there are also the indirect jobs. Take Dublin Airport as an example. About 22,000 people are employed directly on campus, with about 135,000 indirect jobs. As airports grow, for every additional 1 million passengers there are about another thousand direct jobs. That is how important aviation is.

I will work with colleagues on this. The cross-party group on Shannon is earnest and very supportive of further growth in Shannon. I will support it in what it needs to do. As Deputy Quinlivan knows and as has been rightly said here, the Government cannot direct airlines where to fly, but I have met with our airlines. I have met with Aer Lingus and Ryanair. I have met with Airlines for America. We have discussions with them as regards Ireland as a whole. We see that Aer Lingus's and Ryanair's commitment to Ireland is very firm. Where it makes sense to add routes, they will, and I encourage them to do that.

As regards regional airports, that piece of work should be finished by the end of this year.

As regards national aviation policy, I take the point made and I am taking a ten-year view. That can be reviewed along the way. It is not set in stone. It should be a living document; a living plan. We have significant investment in our airports. I referred to the €200 million investment in Cork Airport, which is really significant. It will transform that airport. The three Ministers here - myself and the Ministers of State, Deputies Canney and Buttimer - are very supportive of our aviation sector and fully recognise the importance of the sector to our economy and our society.