Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The funding that has been available to date is welcome but not sufficient. My concern is that while budgets are being made available to regional airports, we are all looking to get money from the same pot and that the pot is not infinite. There needs to be a direct commitment for Ireland West Airport Knock to meet the losses it has suffered this year. Let us be very clear, the airport is closing its doors for the second time on foot of a Government decision basically to close down the aviation sector and to stop flights in and out of the country. The Government has advised people not to fly. That Government decision has impacted the airport through no fault of its own. It has carried out aggressive cost-saving exercises. It has reduced its staff, made 43 people redundant and reduced its costs across the board. There is a limit to what it can do. As has been said, this is the people's airport. The people of Mayo will not countenance anything happening to it because it was directly funded and built not just by the State but by the people of Mayo. We will make sure the airport survives but we need the Government to step up to the plate and do its job as well.