Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 October 2014
232. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will review the restrictive interpretation his Department has taken in relation to the EU guidelines on financially assisting regional airports as a consequence of recent EU court decisions on regional airports across Europe. [39623/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question 605 of 7th October regarding the 2014 EU Guidelines on State-aid to airports. Those Guidelines set out EU Policy on regional airports and reflect the decisions arising from a number of EU Court cases, in particular, the Altmark and Leipzig/Halle Airport cases. It is not open to any Member State to interpret these Guidelines, but all are required to give their explicit unconditional agreement to their implementation. Ireland has already done so.
The draft Regional Airports Programme 2015-2019 sets out the policy for State supports for regional airports for that period and reflects the requirements laid down in the Guidelines. That Programme, currently with the EU Commission for consideration and approval, confines State aid supports on capital expenditure by the regional airports to safety and security related projects only. This is in accordance with longstanding Government policy.
