Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a timeframe for when there will be a proper aviation policy put forward to ensure that we have joined up thinking when it comes to plotting the future of aviation, distributing of resources and so on throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1347/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I reject the Deputy's assertion that there is a lack of joined up thinking in our aviation policy. The aim of our aviation policy is to ensure that the sector supports Irelands economic and social goals in a safe, competitive, cost-effective and sustainable manner and to ensure maximum connectivity for Ireland with the rest of the world for the benefit of Irish business and tourism. Bringing aviation and tourism together under one Department and Minister in itself has been helpful in developing more joined up thinking across the two sectors.

The Deputy will be aware that since taking office the Government has been actively encouraged airlines to deliver more tourists to Ireland. In our 2011 Jobs Initiative, we included a three-pronged plan to enhance overseas access and thereby promote inbound tourism through:

· abolishing the travel tax conditional on clear commitments by airlines to

increase inbound capacity from our source markets;

· the introduction of a new growth incentive scheme by the Dublin Airport

Authority; and

· more targeted co-operative marketing of new routes from key source

tourism markets by Tourism Ireland, DAA and the airlines to encourage

more tourists to fly into Ireland.

While the Government subsequently decided, in the absence of a sufficient response from the airlines, to retain the air travel tax, we have undertaken the review the matter again this Spring. In the meantime, part of the receipts from its retention were made available to fund additional cooperative marketing activities. A €9 million overseas tourism marketing campaign over the Autumn/Winter period was led by Tourism Ireland, inclusive of matching funding provided by partner companies, including Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Aer Arann, overseas airlines, tour operators and online travel agents, and ferry companies; further evidence of joined up thinking in developing and implementing policies across both sectors.

As regards the Deputy's point about the distribution of resources, the Government decided in June last year on the future funding arrangements for Donegal, Knock, Kerry and Waterford airports for both operational and capital purposes. From this year onwards, operational subvention (OPEX) and capital expenditure (CAPEX) funding will be available for Waterford, Kerry, Knock and Donegal Airports. Furthermore, the Dublin/Kerry and Dublin/Donegal PSO routes have been maintained. The financial allocations in this regard have been published in the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Medium Term Exchequer Framework.