FG: Cullen ‘robbed’ Cork airport

TRANSPORT Minister Martin Cullen “robbed” Cork Airport of €100 million on the same day he announced funding of €22.3m for an airport in his own Waterford constituency, the Dáil has heard.

Opposition TDs lambasted the Government for breaking its promise to Cork Airport that it would be debt-free upon independence.

Dublin Airport was supposed to assume the debts of both Cork and Shannon once the three separated.

However, the Government now wants Cork to accept €100m of debt before autonomy is granted.

Speaking during a special late-night debate on the issue, Fine Gael TD Jim O’Keeffe said: “It is a supreme irony for this minister to rob the people of Cork of the €100m that they were promised on the same day he is spending €22.3m on the airport in his own constituency.”

Mr O’Keeffe was referring to Waterford South East Regional Airport, which benefited from a funding package the minister unveiled on Wednesday.

Mr O’Keeffe’s party colleague, TD and MEP Simon Coveney, said the Taoiseach had ‘personally reassured’ staff at Cork that it would commence independent operations free of debt.

But Mr Ahern and his Cabinet had subsequently performed a u-turn and “decided to lumber Cork Airport with a debt it cannot afford to finance. This represents the most blatant broken political promise in the lifetime of the Government.”

Labour TD Kathleen Lynch said it was “the umpteenth time” the Government had broken promises.

“This is an Alice in Wonderland government where words mean what the Government and the ministers say they mean, but when we speak of Alice in Wonderland, we must never forget Humpty Dumpty,” she remarked.

“Like Humpty Dumpty, this Government is in for a great fall and I hope the people of Cork will be the ones to push it.”

Green Party TD Dan Boyle said it was “mad economics” to assume Cork could take on board €100 million of debt and survive.

Fine Gael TD David Stanton said the airport’s future looked bleak. “Cork Airport is already under pressure and this decision will kill it.”

Another Fine Gael TD, Bernard Allen, said the decision would “set back balanced regional development for years”.

Government TDs also spoke during the debate. Fianna Fáil TD Billy Kelleher asked the minister to state whether Cork could prove viable with €100m of debt on board.

He also said a 40-acre landbank at the airport should not be given to Dublin.