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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Mar 1993

Vol. 427 No. 2

Written Answers. - Regional Airports.

Edward Nealon

Ceist:

165 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the grave threat of closure of Sligo Airport because of unsustainable financial losses that would be incurred with the reduction of scheduled flights to one day between Sligo and Dublin, that such a closure would have extremely serious consequences for the economic and social development in the entire north west region, particularly for tourism, manufacturing industry and future inward investment in the area, that a regional airport in a peripheral area like Sligo in the north west is of added importance because of the recent developments in the European Community; if the Government intend to provide the assistance to enable this regional airport to remain open in the first place and to undertake the various developments to guarantee a viable long term future; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Edward Nealon

Ceist:

166 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the partnership Government's policy on regional airports in particular the Sligo Regional Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose taking Questions Nos. 165 and 166 together. I am fully cognisant of the role Sligo Airport, and indeed all regional airports, play in the development of their local economies. This is the main reason why the Government has invested heavily in all regional airports through Exchequer, EC and other sources of funding. I am also aware that all regional airports in Ireland are facing major financial difficulties due to a sharp downturn in traffic.

My Department recently met a high level delegation from Sligo Airport who provided a very full briefing on the difficulties facing the airport. Their most immediate concern was the reduction in Aer Lingus services to Sligo.

The company informed my Department that the reduction in their services to Sligo was one of a series of changes they were forced to make to stem the large losses being incurred by the company. Aer Lingus maintain that all their regional routes lose substantial sums of money.

Due to the constraints on the public finances there are no Exchequer resources available to me to offer financial assistance to any of the regional airports.

My Department has approached the EC Commission on a number of occasions with proposals for financial support and temporary operating subsidies for the regional airports. However, the EC Commission have turned down all such requests.

There are, however, funds available for promotion and marketing purposes under the Operational Programme for Tourism. At the recent meeting with my Department, representatives of Sligo Airport were reminded of the existence of these funds and were urged to avail of them.
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