Varadkar tells airports no public money available

TRANSPORT Minister Leo Varadkar has effectively told Galway and Sligo airport officials they will have to beg from private investors from next year because there is no more public money left to run the facilities.

The Fine Gael minister said limited resources mean the only services outside of Dublin and Cork which will still be funded in 2012 are Kerry, Waterford, Donegal and Knock.

In a statement outlining the move, Mr Varadkar said the coalition Government is making an extra €5.9 million available to all six regional airports for the remainder of this year.

This is on top of the €13.4m already allocated to the services.

However, he said further funding will not be available for either Galway or Sligo from January 1, 2012 — a decision he insisted was the result of “disingenuous” financial plans by the Fianna Fáil-Greens coalition.

“When I took office, I discovered the last government had left us with just €600,000 for operational funding at all six regional airports,” said Mr Varadkar.

“This was in spite of a disingenuous election pledge from Fianna Fáil to fund all of the airports for 2011, without allocating the necessary funding.

“The Government has now reversed that decision and is providing funding for all six regional airports... for the whole of 2011,” he said, adding that “the right thing to do is support the most viable airports” from next year.

Mr Varadkar said Galway and Sligo must “use the opportunity provided by the additional funding [this year] to engage with various parties, including business interests, investors and local authorities” if they are to continue “in some form”.

Galway West Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív welcomed the additional €5.9m in funding this year for the services, but pleaded with Mr Varadkar to find some way to continue supporting Galway and Sligo airports from January.

“I am now urging him to reverse his short-sighted decision to cease funding to Galway and Sligo airports from 2012.

“Air access is vital to the west of Ireland. As a Galway deputy I can testify to the importance of Galway airport to the people of Galway, but also crucially to tourist and business interests there,” said Mr Varadkar.