Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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792. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide in tabular form the capital and other spending from his Department allocated to the regional airports in Ireland in 2012 and 2013; if he foresees increased business in our regional airports in the coming year; the annual passenger numbers by airport for 2012 and 2013 in tabular form; the number of staff in each regional airport in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7681/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Exchequer support for regional airports is provided under the Regional Airports Programme which includes  the Capital Expenditure Grants (CAPEX) Scheme, the Operational Expenditure Subvention (OPEX) Scheme and a Scheme for subventing Public Service Obligations (PSO) air services operating between Kerry and Dublin and Donegal and Dublin.

Capital expenditure is focussed on safety and security projects, aimed at ensuring that each airport can comply with required national and international aviation safety and security standards. Operational subvention is provided towards the cost of core airport services. The current PSO air services Scheme ends in November this year. Policy on regional airports post 2014 is currently being developed in my Department.

Increasing business at the airports is the job of the Board, management and staff of the relevant airport.

Details of funding and passenger statistics are set out in the following tables. 

As the regional airports are private companies, it would be inappropriate for me to supply staffing details without their prior agreement.