Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will give a commitment that the OPEX subvention for Galway Airport will be retained. [13681/11]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is committed to the provision of funding for regional airports under the OPEX and CAPEX schemes and if he supports regional links to international airports which are vital to regional economic development. [13689/11]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 69: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has considered a report by the Western Development Commission which argues for the retention of Sligo and Galway regional airports. [13690/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 52, 61 and 69 together.

I am sure that the Deputies will be aware that the total allocation currently available for the Regional Airports Programme for 2011 is €13.4m (almost all of which is already committed) compared to expenditure of €21.2m on the Programme in 2010. This reduction was made by the previous Government and I am now faced with dealing with the lack of funding available for the the regional airports in 2011 and future years.

The Value for Money (VFM) Review published by the previous Government in January 2011 recommended that funding for PSO air services between Dublin and the regional airports be discontinued when current contracts end in July 2011, except for the Donegal/Dublin service, and that operational (OPEX) and capital expenditure funding (CAPEX) be discontinued for Sligo and Galway airports. These recommendations took into account changes in EU legislation, airport performances, the substantial investment in surface transport, overlapping catchment areas, the best use of scarce Exchequer resources and the implications for the tourism and business sectors in the regions.

The Western Development Commission met with my Department in early and mid-2010 in relation to its submission and I understand that the views of the Commission were conveyed to my predecessor prior to publication of the VFM Review and the decision taken by the previous Government subsequently to continue with PSO air services on the Donegal/Dublin and Kerry Dublin routes only after July 2011. In addressing the lack of funding issue, I have to take into consideration developments in recent years as highlighted in the Review and the need to focus on ensuring the sustainability of a strong network of regional airports serving the Irish public, both in terms of business and tourism.

No decision on the funding for regional airport for 2011 and future years has yet been made by the current Government. In the circumstances, it would be inappropriate at this stage to comment on the possible outcome of the Government's deliberations. However, it is clear that in the current difficult climate, any decisions will have to take account of available Exchequer funds.

In relation to regional links to international airports, I understand that the tourism agencies are working with the regional airports in the promotion of inbound tourists to the regions. This assistance is part of the three-pronged strategy included in the recent Jobs Initiative to encourage inbound tourism to the island of Ireland from key source markets. The other two elements of the strategy relate to the proposed abolition of the €3 travel tax and the new growth incentive scheme recently introduced by the Dublin Airport Authority. I have already dealt with this matter in response to Priority Question No. 1.