Vol. 405 No. 1
6 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the current difficulties being faced by the regional airports; and the proposals, if any, he has to ensure their continued viability.
19 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he will make a statement on the crisis facing regional airports; and the steps he is taking to resolve that crisis.
35 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he has had any discussions with the regional airport authorities regarding the implications of the demand from Ryanair that they should reduce landing fees, or Ryanair would withdraw their flights; if he has given approval for any regional airport to lower its landing fees; the implications for the viability of the regional airports of any such reduction in fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 19 and 35 together.
On 28 January 1991 I convened meetings with the chairmen and senior management of all the regional airports and with Ryanair, and had discussions the following day with Aer Lingus, to express my serious concern at the imminent loss of services to/from the regional airports. We discussed a range of measures which might be taken to resolve the difficulties facing the airports. These discussions are continuing.
The regional airports have an important contribution to make to the economic and social development of this country and to the continued expansion of tourism in the regions served by those airports. I am most anxious, therefore. that air services to/from the regional airports will continue to operate. In the latter context, I was pleased when Aer Lingus recently found it possible to accede to my request that they should continue to serve the Dublin-Connaught and Dublin-Derry routes which they had originally proposed to drop under their "Blueprint for Recovery" Plan.
Is the Minister aware that on the UK side at some of the airports Ryanair fly into, mainly Luton, there are no landing charges now because of the feeling in those airports that the traffic it generates is sufficient income from them? In view of that, will the Minister allow a waiving of charges to the air companies to allow the same arrangements to apply here? Secondly, is the Minister prepared to put up any Government or EC resources on a temporary basis to ensure that the routes are maintained into the regional airports?
I am aware that in Luton an arrangement has been made with a particular airline with regard to landing charges. The Deputy knows as well as I do that the regional airports are not State-owned but are owned by the private sector, by chambers of commerce, by county councils, by the Church and by community organisations generally. An item that loomed large in my discusions with the regional airport boards recently was the question of landing charges. I have asked all of the airport boards to consider whether they could review their landing charges to help the airlines through this very difficult period. I have said that I will not be found wanting in being part of any package that the airport boards could see their way to supporting.
A brief question, Deputy. I want to make progress on the other questions and dispose of them if we can.
I notice from the Minister's reply that he is not offering anything in concrete terms. Will the Minister state whether Exchequer support will be made available? Will it be at least £1 million? When does he hope to bring these discusions to finality and announce a package of supports for the regional airports in order to maintain these routes?
There will be no direct support for the airlines from the Exchequer——
The airports?
——but I hope the airport package will be concluded very shortly. It does not depend entirely on Government but on the views the regional airports take and the view the airlines take. The Deputy has to be aware that Aer Lingus withdrew from a number of airports but at my request went back to them. He must also be aware that Ryanair have told the regional airports that they would withdraw from them within a very short time, but because I embarked on trying to put a package together Ryanair decided to defer a decision to pull out of virtually all of the regional airports. We are doing everything possible. I am certainly very interested in the tone of the Deputy's approach and perhaps I could look forward to his support if I bring a package to Government.
When will it be completed?
The next question please.
