Development body to hold emergency meeting on airport terminal debt
News of the special meeting of members of the South-West Regional Authority’s (SWRA) airport consultative committee emerged last night after a separate meeting earlier of the city’s TDs in City Hall.
The debt issue was the sole item on the agenda.
The meeting was called by Lord Mayor Deirdre Clune, who described it as “constructive and amicable”.
“It helps keep the political pressure up. We now have cross-party support,” she said.
It was agreed that Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin would seek a meeting between the TDs and Transport Minister Martin Cullen.
Political pressure continued to mount on the Government yesterday to honour a pledge given by former Transport Minister Seamus Brennan that the airport would start independent operations debt-free.
Mediated talks between Cork Airport Authority (CAA) and Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) are ongoing in a bid to strike a deal on how the costs of Cork’s new €160 million terminal building are shared.
The talks mediator is expected to report to Mr Cullen within four weeks.
Ms Clune said she hoped the Cork delegation could meet him before he receives that report.
“Ultimately, this will be a political decision,” she said.
Despite the row over the debt, the terminal will open to passengers on May 10.
Members of the SWRA will discuss the issue before a tour of the facility on Friday. Fine Gael’s Bernard Allen said he will attempt to raise the issue in the Dáil this afternoon.
He accused the Government of doing a complete U-turn on a firm commitment.
Simon Coveney MEP described the situation as a blatant breach of a promise.
“We need to collar senior ministers in Cork on what they are doing because they’ve been run over by the political power base of Dublin Airport,” he said.
Labour’s Kathleen Lynch said she feared the mediator would recommend splitting the debt evenly between CAA and DAA.
“Trying to produce a business plan with what could be an €80m debt jeopardises the airport’s business plan.”
John Dennehy said his first priority was to get the terminal built.
“We could argue afterwards about paying for it. We have it in writing that it should be debt-free but Seamus Brennan said at legislative stage in the Dáil that unless we have three business plans that stand up, we can’t break up the company.
“We must now establish a situation where CAA can trade profitably and not drive passengers away.”
Noel O’Flynn said the CAA would be tied to the DAA unless it is prepared to take some level of debt.
“But I don’t believe for a minute that CAA will be saddled by the debt.”
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