Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
231. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport if he will identify all capital, safety supports and any other grant or support funding given over the past ten years under each funding head to each individual airport, in tabular form; if the report issuing captures all Government or departmental subventions over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24429/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver the course of the past ten years grant aid totalling almost €76 million has been provided to support essential safety and security related projects and activities at Ireland’s smaller regional airports. While the vast majority of funding was provided under the Regional Airports Programme, capital funding was provided to City of Derry Airport for essential safety works in 2012 as part of the North/South Co-operation, and in line with the Good Friday Agreement.
Funding to each airport, under each funding scheme over the ten year period 2012-2021 is outlined as follows (as is a description of each scheme):
|
AIRPORT |
SCHEME |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Total |
|
Donegal |
CAPEX |
- |
€339,474 |
€431,759 |
- |
€231,290 |
- |
€238,982 |
€460,941 |
- |
€149,374 |
€1,851,820 |
|
PPR-C |
- |
- |
- |
€398,995 |
€220,022 |
- |
- |
€362,995 |
€245,488 |
€583,017 |
€1,810,517 |
|
|
PPR-O |
- |
- |
- |
€226,059 |
€356,597 |
€667,874 |
€657,061 |
€688,922 |
€580,617 |
€460,871 |
€3,638,001 |
|
|
OPEX |
€111,417 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€111,417 |
|
|
Donegal Total |
€111,417 |
€339,474 |
€431,759 |
€625,054 |
€807,909 |
€667,874 |
€896,043 |
€1,512,858 |
€826,105 |
€1,193,262 |
€7,411,755 |
|
|
Kerry |
CAPEX |
€1,633,946 |
€740,958 |
€133,156 |
- |
€181,440 |
€345,333 |
€814,448 |
€630,365 |
€97,490 |
€719,522 |
€5,296,658 |
|
PPR-C |
- |
- |
- |
€402,783 |
€129,262 |
€237,184 |
€372,399 |
€1,288,376 |
€1,058,452 |
€2,066,822 |
€5,555,278 |
|
|
PPR-O |
- |
- |
- |
€311,260 |
€626,855 |
€1,075,474 |
€1,198,847 |
€1,277,546 |
€1,499,564 |
€1,298,034 |
€7,287,580 |
|
|
OPEX |
€550,000 |
€436,918 |
€507,224 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€1,494,142 |
||
|
Kerry Total |
€2,183,946 |
€1,177,876 |
€640,380 |
€714,043 |
€937,557 |
€1,657,991 |
€2,385,694 |
€3,196,287 |
€2,655,506 |
€4,084,377 |
€19,633,658 |
|
|
Ireland West - Knock |
CAPEX |
€699,007 |
€2,013,023 |
€1,925,413 |
- |
€1,201,045 |
€502,361 |
€1,476,839 |
€6,702,288 |
€553,295 |
€1,725,054 |
€16,798,325 |
|
PPR-C |
- |
- |
- |
€564,622 |
€764,609 |
€828,555 |
€782,704 |
€1,044,099 |
€329,740 |
€448,510 |
€4,762,839 |
|
|
PPR-O |
- |
- |
- |
€598,349 |
€967,765 |
€1,868,439 |
€1,916,563 |
€1,736,516 |
€1,353,859 |
€1,017,826 |
€9,459,317 |
|
|
OPEX |
€589,644 |
€654,576 |
€548,600 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€1,792,820 |
|
|
Ireland West Total |
€1,288,651 |
€2,667,599 |
€2,474,013 |
€1,162,971 |
€2,933,419 |
€3,199,355 |
€4,176,106 |
€9,482,903 |
€2,236,894 |
€3,191,389 |
€32,813,300 |
|
|
Waterford |
CAPEX |
€1,333,830 |
€361,686 |
€533,210 |
€43,839 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€2,272,565 |
|
PPR-C |
- |
- |
- |
€732,286 |
€18,381 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€750,667 |
|
|
PPR-O |
- |
- |
- |
€382,205 |
€425,722 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€807,927 |
|
|
OPEX |
€1,232,964 |
€1,121,399 |
€1,038,784 |
€756,825 |
€594,493 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€4,744,465 |
|
|
Emergency Subvention |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€750,000 |
€375,000 |
€375,000 |
- |
€1,500,000 |
|
|
Waterford |
€2,566,794 |
€1,483,085 |
€1,571,994 |
€1,915,155 |
€1,038,596 |
- |
€750,000 |
€375,000 |
€375,000 |
€0 |
€10,075,624 |
|
|
City of Derry |
North/South Co-operation |
€345,590 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€345,590 |
|
City of Derry |
€345,590 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€345,590 |
|
|
Shannon |
Emergency Capital Supports |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€303,513 |
€5,349,560 |
€5,653,073 |
|
Shannon |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€303,513 |
€5,349,560 |
€5,653,073 |
|
|
TOTAL |
€6,496,398 |
€5,668,034 |
€5,118,146 |
€4,417,223 |
€5,717,481 |
€5,525,220 |
€8,207,843 |
€14,567,048 |
€6,397,018 |
€13,818,589 |
€75,933,000 |
|
Funding |
Scheme |
Detail |
|
Regional Airports Programme |
CAPEX |
Funding safety and security related capital expenditure of an economic nature |
|
PPR-C |
Scheme in place since 2015 - Funding capital expenditure for services that normally fall within a 'Public Policy Remit' and generate no economic return for an airport, for example Fire Service, Air Traffic Control and Security |
|
|
PPR-O |
Scheme in place since 2015 - Funding operational expenditure that normally fall within a 'Public Policy Remit' (as above) |
|
|
OPEX |
Scheme in place up until 2020 - Funding safety and security related operational expenditure of an economic nature - no airports eligible since 2016 Scheme |
|
|
Exceptional Supports |
North/South Cooperation |
Support for North/South Co-operation in line with the Good Friday Agreement. This funding represented the final drawdown from a capital funding allocation of €11m made in 2005 which was provided to the airport on a joint funding basis with the British Government. |
|
Emergency Subvention |
Operational supports provided on an exceptional basis to Waterford Airport |
|
|
Emergency Capital Supports |
Funding of an Embankments project and a Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) security project at Shannon Airport (approved by Government in 2020). |
In addition to the above and in recognition of the very difficult circumstances faced by our airports during Covid and taking account of the recommendations of the Taskforce for Aviation Recovery, the Government also allocated over €144 million in Covid specific supports to airports, which provided connectivity in 2021.
This Covid specific funding in 2021 is outlined as follows:
|
AIRPORT |
SCHEME |
€000s |
|
Donegal |
Covid Supplementary Support Scheme |
€258 |
|
Donegal Total |
€258 |
|
|
Kerry |
Covid Supplementary Support Scheme |
€1,798 |
|
Kerry Total |
€1,798 |
|
|
IWAK |
Covid Supplementary Support Scheme |
€2,806 |
|
IWAK Total |
€2,806 |
|
|
Dublin |
Covid Supplementary Support Scheme |
€97,240 |
|
Dublin Total |
€97,240 |
|
|
Shannon |
CAPEX |
€2,907 |
|
PPR-C |
€3,161 |
|
|
PPR-O |
€5,527 |
|
|
Covid Supplementary Support Scheme |
€5,494 |
|
|
Shannon Total |
€17,089 |
|
|
Cork |
CAPEX |
€10,000 |
|
PPR-C |
€0 |
|
|
PPR-O |
€6,690 |
|
|
Covid Supplementary Support Scheme |
€8,379 |
|
|
Cork Total |
€25,069 |
|
|
TOTAL |
€144,260 |
By virtue of their size and passenger numbers, Shannon and Cork Airports had never been eligible for funding under the Regional Airports Programme. However, Government provided over €28 million in capital and operational supports in 2021 under a Covid-19 Regional State Airports Programme 2021 to these airports.
A further unprecedented €116 million was allocated to Irish airports under an EU State Aid approved Covid Supplementary Support Scheme. This funding has compensated our small regional airports at Donegal, Ireland West and Kerry for the damage caused to them by Covid as well as having provided our State airports at Dublin, Shannon and Cork with the flexibility to roll out route incentives/charge rebates, in consultation with airlines, supporting recovery and growth of connectivity.
I can confirm to the Deputy that the above tables capture all Departmental subventions to airports over the period 2012-2021.
