Knock airport future lands on Taoiseach’s lap

Knock airport future lands on the Taoiseach’s lap


Hard-hitting letter by Deputy Mulherin

Áine Ryan

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny has referred serious funding issues that may affect the future of Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK) to the Minister for Transport. The issues were raised in a  hard-hitting confidential letter sent by Deputy Michelle Mulherin to Mr Kenny. The letter also criticises the real potential of the report of the study group to address fundamental issues affecting the airport’s future. The study group was established by Mr Kenny and chaired by  party colleague, Deputy John O’Mahony.
However, Deputy O’Mahony last night strongly defended the progress towards the implementation of the report’s recommendations
Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday, Deputy Mulherin declined to comment on the contents of the letter, which was sent to a number of interested parties and subsequently leaked to the Press.
However, the Ballina-based TD did confirm that Mr Kenny ‘is taking up the issues she raised with Minister Pascal Donohoe in relation to the future of the airport’.

‘Bias against Knock’
The leaked letter argues that the Department of Transport has ‘a bias against Knock’ and challenges the department’s claim that State aid to IWAK would breach EU guidelines.  
“I believe if the will exists within the Department of Transport that the special case for IWAK will be recognised and a mechanism can be found to inject proper funds into IWAK which would create a tipping point in the ability of the airport to sustain itself into the future and which would rightfully recognise the unique situation pertaining to IWAK compared to the other regional airports,” Ms Mulherin writes.   
“Considerable time has passed since the concerns for IWAK were first flagged by the board of the airport and at this stage action is needed now. Substantial funding and supports are needed in the short term to medium term to create sufficient momentum for passenger numbers. Perhaps this can be addressed in the context of the forthcoming Budget 2015 and thereafter on a multi-annual basis, for example, grants for the construction of a hangarage and industrial units and a much-needed extension to the runway apron,” she continued.
Ms Mulherin, who also commissioned her own report on the airport, cites the Scottish Highlands and Islands Airports (HIA) as comparable to IWAK in their provision of a regional service and notes that they receive subsidies from the Scottish government.
She argues that a departmental official should be charged with working with the airport’s Board and other agencies towards implementing a practical and strategic plan for its future.

Recommendations
Responding to Ms Mulherin’s criticisms last night, Deputy John O’Mahony told The Mayo News he was confident the recommendations of the study group, which were published last December, would be addressed.   
He confirmed he had discussed the airport with the Taoiseach in recent days and had met with its Chief Executive, Joe Gilmore, in the last three weeks.
“A key recommendation of the study group has already been implemented with the extension of State aid for a further ten years through EU funding. My job since then was to continually press for delivery of €36 million in capital and operational grants to maximise its potential over the next decade,” John O’Mahony said last night.
He added that the Taoiseach had shown support for the recommendations and, moreover, he was ‘confident’ there would be an announcement about some of that funding in the coming months.