The Government is to develop a new Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme, with a capital budget of €4.2m – which will directly support Cork and Shannon airports’ sustainability plans.
The Government has also announced that it will expand the scope of sustainability projects funded under the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2015, to support projects relating to the production of electricity from renewable sources such as Solar PV farms.
It will also look at how the Programme can better support connectivity and regional development.
The development announcements were made by James Lawless – the newly-appointed Minister of State at the Department of Transport – as he updated on the mid-term review of the Regional Airports Programme during a visit to Shannon Airport, today.
A public consultation was undertaken by the Department of Transport in 2023 to inform a mid-term review of the Programme which currently supports Ireland West, Kerry and Donegal airports.
The review found that the Programme is delivering on its objectives and is in line with Ireland’s National Aviation Policy.
Overall passenger traffic across regional airports last year was up 9% when compared with 2019.
Speaking at Shannon Airport, Minister Lawless said: “…While the primary focus of this review was on the performance of the Programme to date, recommendations and proposed actions on foot of this review, including the high-level actions being announced today, may contribute to the development of policy on future appropriate and cost-effective support measures for regional airports in Ireland, including the development of any future Programme.”
The mid-term review also gave consideration to expanding the scope of the Programme to regional airports that handle greater than one million passengers per annum.
Minister Lawless added: “I recognise that regional airports face financial challenges in meeting their carbon reduction targets under the Climate Action Plan. In recognition of the importance Government attaches to airports being well positioned to meet their carbon reduction emission targets and build resilience against the likely impact of climate change, I am delighted to announce today a new Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme. This Programme, with a budget of circa. €4m, mirrors the sustainability objectives of the Regional Airports Programme by supporting capital investment at Shannon and Cork airports. This investment builds on the €5.6m capital funding announced for Ireland West, Kerry and Donegal airports on 25 April. Further operational supports of an additional circa €4m will be allocated to these three airports later this year.“
