Airport taxes expose regional policy sham

THE Government’s claims to support the regions are a sham when it comes to the Cork area. There are punitive extra taxes and fees of €34.42 per return journey placed on people flying to and from Cork airport.

Business passengers or tourists flying from Dublin to Cork play €34.42 in taxes for making the trip (almost the cost of a return fare). They pay no taxes or fees if they make the trip to Knock airport. And they will pay just €6 in fees to Kerry (Farranfore).

Our businessman/tourist pays €3.51 less in taxes and fees to fly from Dublin to London than an equivalent Cork person pays to fly from Cork to London. Yet again, advantage to the Dubs.

Surely this makes a joke of building the regions and all the waffle about spatial strategy, decentralisation and moving people out of the capital.

Noel Collins,

St Jude’s,

Midleton,

Co Cork