Mayor hosts meeting on airport debt

THE Government faces a week of sustained pressure over its apparent u-turn on the controversial Cork Airport debt issue.

Its new €160 million terminal, which is at the centre of the controversy, will open on May 10, airport management confirmed over the weekend.

But with a cloud of doubt still hanging over who will pay for the building, the city's Lord Mayor, Deirdre Clune (FG), will host a crunch meeting in City Hall this morning of the city's 12 Oireachtas members.

She hopes to build a joint political effort to ensure the airport gets what was promised by the Government in 2003 debt-free status once it begins independent operations.

When announcing plans for the break-up of Aer Rianta, then Transport Minister Seamus Brennan pledged that both Shannon and Cork would start independent operations debt-free.

However, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has been at loggerheads with the Cork Airport Authority (CAA) since over who should bear the costs of Cork's €160m terminal.

Statements by Junior Minister Tony Kileen in the Seanad last week suggested Cork would have to bear some debt to comply with company law. Some reports suggest the debt burden could be up to €80m.