Cork Airport is not being downgraded, says minister

Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has said there is no evidence to support claims that Cork Airport is suffering a downgrade by stealth, despite opposition fears that the facility has become “subservient to the Dublin Airport Authority’s diktat”.

The Fine Gael TD issued the response during a Dáil debate on whether Ireland’s second city is being drained of vital transport connections and income from tourists coming to the region.

Speaking during a heated discussion on the issue, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said there is great concern among the Cork population and surrounding region about the future of its airport.