Batt O'Keeffe
Ceist:43 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the grant aid that has been made available to Cork and Shannon Airports over the last three years. [2982/95]
Written Answers - Airports' Grant Aid.
I would like to explain that Cork and Shannon airports, and also Dublin airport, are managed and operated by Aer Rianta on my behalf. Capital investment at the three airports is funded by Aer Rianta from their own resources and borrowings.
Expenditure of £4.8 million, which qualified for European Regional Development Fund aid at the rate of 50 per cent, was undertaken at Cork airport over the last three years. The relevant expenditure in the case of Shannon airport was £2.2 million. This expenditure was in respect of infrastructural improvements carried out by Aer Rianta at the two airports, including a new passenger terminal at Cork Airport.
Assistance was also given to these airports on the marketing front. A special traffic development task force for Shannon airport was established in June 1993 with a budget of £1 million over the years 1993-94. Actual expenditure incurred amounted to £562,000. Based on the recommendations of the task force, responsibility for the promotion of traffic through Shannon airport was transferred to Shannon airport marketing with effect from 1 October 1994 with a budget of £2 million per annum from 1995.
While Aer Rianta is responsible for the marketing and promotion of Cork airport, the company was encouraged by my Department to set up a special marketing fund totalling £500,000 in 1994, compared to the £116,000 in 1993. A new marketing consultative committee was also set up comprising of airport management, tourism and commercial interests in the Cork area. I understand that this contributed significantly to the record traffic level of almost 800,000 passengers achieved by Cork airport in 1994.
I have had discussions with the chairman of Aer Rianta about the development plans for the two airports.
The development programme for Shannon airport to the end of the decade will involve capital expenditure of £25 million. I visited Shannon on 9 January and gave approval for development works costing over £8 million. I will be monitoring closely progress on the remaining phases of the development plan.
At Cork airport, the forward development plans to the end of the decade provide for expenditure of over £10 million. As the Deputy is aware, Cork airport has a new passenger terminal which was opened last October. I intend to visit Cork airport shortly and I will then be in a better position to see for myself the projects planned at Cork and the projected timescale.