Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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610. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress as provided under the programme for Government on €10 million in additional funding for regional airports; the capital expenditure that has been allocated in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53715/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The National Aviation Policy, published by my Department in 2015, acknowledges the role played by the regional airports of Donegal, Ireland West Airport Knock, Kerry and Waterford as being important in promoting a level of international connectivity to support the tourism and business sectors in their regions.

In this regard I am pleased to inform the Deputy that as part of the Review of the Capital Plan that was carried out by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department secured over €17 million in additional capital funding for the Regional Airports Programme in recognition of this role.  These additional resources will be available in the period 2019 to 2021 and are considerably in excess of the €10 million in extra Capital Plan funding that was originally envisaged in the Programme for Government.

Capital funding of €1.9m has been allocated in 2017 and will be paid to the regional airports in the current year.