Written Answers. - Regional Airport Funding.
Austin Deasy
Question:
19
Mr. Deasy
asked the
Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
if he has satisfied himself that all regional airports are being treated equally when it comes to the disbursement of State and EC funds; and if he will give details of the moneys granted and pledged for the development and expansion of the Kerry Regional Airport from all sources.
I am entirely satisfied that all regional airports are treated equally in the matter of State and EC funding. All such funds are allocated on the basis of development proposals furnished to my Department by the individual airport companies.
As regional airports are private limited companies, responsibility for drawing up development plans is a matter for the board of directors of each airport company, having regard to present and anticipated market potential, the infrastructural improvements necessary to cater for that potential and the company's ability to raise the required cofunding element. Development proposals are subjected to rigorous examination by my Department.
State funding for the development of regional airports amounting to £15 million was paid between the years 1981 and 1989. This assistance was of a "priming" nature for the purpose of putting in place basic airport facilities. There has been no Exchequer financial assistance for capital development works at any of the regional airports since 1989.
In March 1991, a major new capital investment programme of £19 million was announced by my predecessor for the development of regional airports. That programme, which will finish on 31 December 1993, is co-financed equally by EC Structural Funds and by the regional airport companies.
In addition to capital grants, as an exceptional case, I have set up a Marketing/Promotion Fund of £1.5 million for the purpose of assisting the regional airport companies in 1993. Pending agreement with the regional airports on specific marketing programmes under this scheme, final allocations have not been decided upon. However, interim payments have been made to three regional airports as follows:— Connaught £112,000, Sligo £49,000 and Donegal £58,000.
Exchequer grants totalling £1.32 million were paid to Kerry regional airport between 1982 and 1989. An allocation of £6.4 million has been made to the company from the EC Structural Funds under the Operational Programme on Peripherality on condition that the company provide matching funds of £6.4 million from their own resources. To date, £3.2 million of the allocation has been paid to the company.
