Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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1148. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of the application from the City of Derry Airport for his Department to co-fund the re-instatement of the Derry to Dublin air connection, along with the British Government Department for Transport and the airport itself; and if he will accede to this request in acknowledgement of the infrastructural deficits in linking Donegal and Derry to Dublin, in comparison to all other major cities and regions. [37230/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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​Last week, I received a letter from the Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement which included a request from the City of Derry Airport for financial assistance from the Irish Government towards the operating costs of a proposed new air service between that airport and Dublin. I believe that the prospective air carrier in question, Citywings, has applied for start-up assistance under the UK's Regional Air Connectivity Fund for this route.

I understand that the UK's Connectivity Fund was approved from a State aid point of view by the EU Commission earlier this year. We do not, however, have a similar scheme and there is no funding available from my Department to grant financial aid to airlines for new route start-ups.

I will, however, have my officials look into the matter further before I respond to the Chairman of the Joint Committee.