Airports in limbo - Over to you Mr Dempsey

OUR airports have been in a state of transition — if not turmoil — for more than four years.

Since July 2003 in fact, when then Transport Minister Seamus Brennan announced the break-up of Aer Rianta and its replacement by three independent boards to run Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.

At the time he infamously promised that Cork’s debt will be absorbed by Dublin, ensuring that Cork begins its independent existence debt-free. These matters remain unresolved and the Dublin Airport Authority is insisting that the Cork Airport Authority take responsibility for e100 million of the e220m redevelopment costs. The CAA believes such a debt would cripple them and has suggested a figure about half that.