Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2006
459 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Transport the level of funding provided by his Department under all headings to Knock Airport in the past five years; the allocation proposed for 2006 and 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25959/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs indicated in the table below, my Department has provided assistance to Ireland West Airport Knock of almost €4.7 million since 2001 in respect of capital and operational expenditure.
|
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
Totals |
|
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
NDP Regional Airports Measure |
302,610 |
0 |
2,030,996 |
0 |
321,218 |
2,654,824 |
|
Marketing Safety & Security Grant Scheme |
444,408 |
400,000 |
400,000 |
400,000 |
400,000 |
2,044,408 |
|
Totals |
747,018 |
400,000 |
2,430,996 |
400,000 |
721,218 |
4,699,232 |
As regards 2006 and beyond, it has been necessary for my Department to draw up two new schemes in respect of capital and operational expenditure to ensure compliance with the requirements of EU guidelines on the provision of public finance to airports which were published by the EU Commission in December 2005. These new schemes have been notified to the EU Commission for the sake of legal certainty.
Meanwhile, the schemes have now been forwarded to the regional airports, inviting them to submit applications for assistance by 1 September in the case of operational expenditure and by 15 September in the case of capital projects. The capital applications will be assessed and prioritised by my Department later this year by reference to a planning and implementation framework extending to 2010. As regards applications for operational assistance, it will be necessary for my Department to agree a Memorandum of Understanding with each airport for the provision of core airport services. The amount of assistance for each individual airport will be decided annually on the basis of an examination of the projected shortfall between, on the one hand, the costs of providing those services in the year in question and on the other, total revenues likely to be available to the airport during the year.
The funding to be provided for Ireland West Airport Knock and any other regional airport in respect of 2006 and 2007 will therefore depend on the outcome of the two assessment processes mentioned above.
460 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Transport the resources available to him for disposal among regional airports; the way in which it is proposed to allocate these resources; the objectives and spending targets by his Department in this area for the next three to five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25961/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraA total of €100 million will be available for investment in capital projects in all regional airports under the Transport 21 framework between 2006 and 2015. The projected allocation of funds to the Department for this purpose over the next 5 years is as follows:
|
Year |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
Millions € |
11 |
13 |
16 |
18 |
5 |
As well as the continuation of grant assistance for essential safety and security capital expenditure under the NDP, all regional airports will be eligible for capital expenditure grants where demand for additional air services can be demonstrated and where an economic case can be made to justify increased investment. My Department has now launched a scheme to give effect to the Transport 21 provision and has invited the regional airports to submit their applications by 15th September 2006.
The airports have also been invited to submit by 1st September 2006 their applications for assistance under a separate scheme which provides for the payment of a subvention in respect of the provision of core airport services, to the extent that these cannot otherwise be financed from airport revenues. The resources available for this purpose from year to year will be decided as part of the annual estimates exercise.
For the sake of legal certainty, the two new schemes have been formally notified to the EU Commission for clearance under the relevant EU guidelines which were published in December 2005.
Allocations to regional airports will be made strictly in accordance with the terms of these schemes.
