Vol. 433 No. 3
26 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the moneys, if any, which it is proposed to allocate to regional airports in 1993 and subsequent years from Exchequer funds or from any State body dependent on Exchequer funds.
I am not aware of any proposal by any State body under the aegis of my Department dependent on Exchequer Funds to allocate moneys to regional airports.
My Department is currently discussing with the EC Commission proposals and conditions for an Essential Air Services Programme for regional airports. This was the main recommendation in a report on regional airports prepared for my Department by Dr. Aisling J. Reynolds Feighan. The precise format of the programme will not be finalised until they are discussed with the regional airport authorities. However the cost to the Exchequer will not be more than £1.5 million per annum. The EC Commission have indicated that it could take up to nine months before it could sanction such a programme.
In the meantime, my Department intends, subject to approval of a supplementary estimate by Dáil Éireann, to implement a temporary marketing grants scheme for the regional airports. However, discussions with the regional airport authorities on this issue cannot commence until Dáil approval is received for the supplementary estimate.
