Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

All I can add is that Ireland West Airport Knock is a regional airport and is extremely important to Connacht and the north west but from a national point of view it accounts for only about 2% of air traffic to Ireland. If it was not a regional airport it would not be eligible for "opex" or "capex" funding or State aid. If it was a strategic airport, such as Dublin Airport which accounts for 80% of traffic into the country, it would not be possible to State aid it. It is not possible to give Ireland West Airport Knock or any other airport some special status whereby it can receive State aid that other airports do not receive. The airports in State ownership that operate on a commercial basis receive no Government grants and no State aid. State aid is only provided to regional airports, precisely because they are regional airports and are important in providing access to regions that do not have motorway access, such as Donegal. Whatever is done for Ireland West Airport Knock must comply with state aid rules and similar treatment must be given to Donegal, Kerry and Waterford airports. It is not possible to give Ireland West Airport Knock some form of special treatment or priority treatment. That is not what has been done in Shannon.