asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether, in view of the lack of rail and sea passenger transport serving County Donegal, he is prepared to provide an airport in County Donegal; and, if not, why.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers (Resumed). - County Donegal Airport.
65.
The heavy investment in a State airport in Donegal with necessary aeronautical facilities and the high cost of operation would not be justified by the prospective traffic and in view of the heavy Exchequer investment in the existing State airports, which are required to cater for our international scheduled air services, I could not see my way to proposing the construction of such an airport in Donegal.
As the Deputy is no doubt aware, there is a fund entitled the Special Regional Development Fund under the aegis of the Minister for Finance which is used in certain circumstances to promote economic projects in the underdeveloped counties. Applications for grants from this fund towards the cost of private aerodromes are considered on their merits, the principal criteria being suitability of site, local sponsorship providing at least half the cost of the provision of an aerodrome with minimum facilities and a reasonable expectation that the operation will be viable.
My Department will assist promoters of private aerodromes by providing technical advice on aeronautical aspects.
Will the Minister take into account the fact that, while the residents of north-west Donegal in particular contribute fully and completely to the provision of rail services for the rest of the country, and air services for the southern half of the country from Dublin across to Galway and southwards, we do not have any of these facilities in Donegal and that, in view of the isolation of the county by virtue of geography on the one hand and the artificial Border on the other hand, a special effort should be made? Will the Minister check again on the figures from which these deductions have been made because I believe they are erroneous? In checking them, will he ascertain whether the likely volume of passenger traffic from an airport sited in Donegal would be at least equal to that of the airport sited in his native Cork and would not be in competition with anything nearer than Aldergrove in Belfast?
I would be sympathetic to the siting of an aerodrome in Donegal but this would come under the aegis of the Department of Finance who would be primarily responsible. I do not think it would be possible even if, as the Deputy says, the prospective volume of traffic would be equal to that in Cork. As the Deputy may know, Cork Airport lost a considerable amount of money last year. Obviously, if another airport were sited in Donegal the possibility is, if the Deputy is correct, that that would also lose money. I would prefer to see a small airport there something on the lines of the Castlebar airport if local participation was available for it. If the Deputy can get a number of people in his county together to put such a scheme before me, I will be very glad to advance it with the Department of Finance for him.
The Minister could ascertain in his own Department that abortive efforts have already been made in this direction. Will he agree to have a full look into this whole matter? A great deal more could be said in defence of the idea than can possibly be said at Question Time.
I am not aware that approaches were made to my Department in that regard. I see that Deputy Harte had a question to the Minister for Transport and Power in 1968 about it.