Waterford Airport ‘left out once again' as nearly €8m in regional airport funding announced
The announcement sees a total of €7.823m going to Ireland West, Kerry, and Donegal airports, but none for Waterford Airport, which has seen its runway extension project stalled in recent years.
William Bolster, director and board member of Waterford Airport, told the Irish Independent that they welcome all investment to infrastructural projects to the regions and in particular aviation, but 'unfortunately Waterford falls outside the criteria on the Regional Airports Programme due to the absence of a commercial carrier in place.
'Waterford Airport and the board are working very closely with Minister O'Brien and the Department to achieve the goal to have capital funding committed to allow a Jet Runway for the southeast region, we hope to have speedy conclusion to our discussion in the near future,' said Mr Bolster.
SF Waterford TD Conor McGuinness sharply criticised the Government's latest decision to exclude Waterford Airport from regional airport funding allocations, describing it as a 'calculated and ongoing neglect of Waterford and the south east', and has called on Government Ministers John Cummins and Mary Butler to 'stop covering for this blatant disregard' and 'stand up for their county'.
'This announcement saw nearly €8 million allocated to regional airports in the west and south west, while Waterford was left out once again, despite having planning permission, private investment, and local authority co-funding in place for the long-awaited €12 million runway extension,' said Deputy McGuinness.
'Let's call this what it is - calculated neglect. Waterford Airport is ready to go. The project is costed, planned, and regionally backed. The missing piece is Government commitment.
'Instead, we see millions flowing to other airports while Waterford is passed over again. The runway extension would restore scheduled services and unlock real economic growth across the south east but, the Government continues to block it.'
Deputy McGuinness said the silence from Waterford's Government TDs is no longer tenable. 'Minister Mary Butler and Minister John Cummins need to stop providing political cover for this ongoing snub. It's not enough to issue soft statements after the fact - they're part of the Government making these decisions. If they won't fight for Waterford, who will?'
'David Cullinane and I have been campaigning relentlessly to secure this funding. Last week we jointly raised the issue again in the Dáil. The Minister's excuses have run out. This is not a case of due process – it's a failure of political will, and it's costing Waterford jobs, investment and connectivity.'
ADVERTISEMENT
Learn more
Deputy McGuiness added, 'Government inaction is holding Waterford back. Cummins and Butler must now call a halt to this calculated neglect, and demand that Waterford gets its fair share.'
Speaking before the announcement, former independent TD for Waterford and now social advocate, Matt Shanahan, said the 'bludgeoned' aspirations of 2011 and 2017 Government programme promises to develop Waterford Airport can be 'clearly seen'. The Government 'has no desire to fund aviation activity in the South East region,' said Mr Shanahan.
'Opposition TDs will grandstand in press, social media and in the Dáil, but no way will their party leadership allow them bring a motion to the floor of the house on the issue to actually force serious debate.
'When people in Waterford ask why are we continuously denied any meaningful investment to create regional economic advantage, the answer has been the same for two decades - whichever party reps you follow, government or opposition, their party political interests always come before your economic needs. And their political reps' loyalty is always to the party, not you the people.
'Vested interests elsewhere have no interest in promoting Waterford or south east economies simply because they fear negative impact to their own - their political strength and the blind allegiance of their party reps means nothing changes in our favour.
'Fairness for Waterford was mentioned endlessly in every electoral campaign soundbite and leaflet in 2024 - once the election was done, just like before, both went in the bin.
'The phrase 'fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me' has been around since 1651 - it's obvious Waterford needs to pay more attention to history rather than listening to repeated empty political rhetoric.
Mr Shanahan added, 'For the next four plus years while people in Waterford continue to decry our 'Oliver Twist' existence, the political parties will continue to smile in joined understanding of the old maxim - you broke it, you own it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Irish Times
Protesters call on Central Bank not to renew Israel bonds
Protesters have urged the Central Bank of Ireland not to proceed with the approval for the sale of Israel bonds in advance of an upcoming renewal date. About 100 demonstrators gathered outside the Central Bank in Dublin on Tuesday to demand an end to the authority's role in approving Israel bonds for sale in the EU, for the Government to include services in the Occupied Territories Bill and to pass that legislation. The bank is the designated authority in relation to the sale of Israel bonds in the EU, and has determined the securities meet the standards of the union's prospectus regulations. Israel bonds have been advertised as supporting the country's economy and, more recently, websites promoting the securities emphasise their role in supporting Israel's military operations in Gaza. READ MORE Protesters and Opposition parties have called for legislation that would give Ireland the power to refuse the sale of Israeli 'war bonds' over human rights concerns. They say the bonds are intended to fund the war in Gaza, while Ireland has an obligation under the Genocide Convention to use all means likely to have a deterrent effect on those suspected of preparing genocide. The Central Bank has said regulations require it to approve prospectuses that meet standards of completeness, consistency and comprehensibility. The Israel bond prospectus is up for renewal on September 2nd. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance has recommended that the bank carry out an immediate review before renewing approval of the bonds. David Landy of Jews for Palestine and Academics for Palestine outside the Central Bank in Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire Meanwhile, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has launched legal proceedings against the Central Bank over claims that investors in Israeli bonds could be legally complicit in genocide in Gaza. It is alleged that the Central Bank's failure to ban the marketing, distribution and sale of Israel bonds exposes investors to risks that have not been disclosed to them. [ Lobby other EU countries to allow Irish Central Bank to drop Israeli war bonds, TDs recommend Opens in new window ] Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign chairwoman Zoe Lawlor said: 'The Government has to end the direct involvement of the Central Bank in apartheid Israel's sale of genocide-funding bonds. 'The Central Bank is an organ of this State, and its complicity in genocide makes Ireland complicit.' David Landy of Jews for Palestine, and Academics for Palestine, said: 'We are asking the Central Bank to do the absolute minimum required of it under law – to end the sale of Israeli war bonds, to finally end this direct Irish participation in Israeli genocide.' Sinn Féin's foreign affairs spokesman said the Irish Government 'must use every lever at its disposal' to show leadership on Gaza. Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said: 'Clearly, ending the facilitation of Israeli war bonds is one of those.' He added: 'The people of Gaza and of Palestine need us to act.'
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Over 150 vacant pubs converted to homes since 2022
The Department of Housing has received 154 notifications of the conversion of vacant pubs into residential homes since 2022, figures from the department have shown. In 2018, the Government introduced planning exemptions to remove the requirement for planning permission to convert certain properties to residential units. This exemption was extended in 2022 to allow vacant pubs to be converted into homes. The department has said the 154 notifications had the potential to create 459 new homes. Co Mayo received the highest number of pub exemptions with 18 which equated to 40 homes, the department said. In total, 1,457 notifications to convert vacant commercial properties into residential units were received from 2018 to 2024, with the department saying these had the potential to create 3,429 new homes. There were 30,635 vacant commercial units across the country as of June 2024, according to a GeoDirectory Commercial Buildings Report. A study commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland earlier this year estimated that an average of 112 pubs stopped trading every year over the last 20 years. Minister for Housing James Browne said transforming premises such as former pubs is "a practical community-focused solution which as well as streamlining the planning process, makes efficient use of existing infrastructure and services". "This measure not only boosts the supply of homes, but also our Town Centre First Policy which is breathing new life into our villages, towns and cities by supporting regeneration and more vibrant, sustainable communities across the country," he said. Mayo had highest number of former pubs converted Of the 154 former pubs converted from 2022 to 2024, Mayo had the highest number with 18, followed by Limerick and then 10 by Cork county. The Director of Services at Mayo County Council, Tom Gilligan, said they have had up to 50 or 60 applications, but not just for pubs. Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, he said there was a significant amendment in 2018 which removed the requirement for planning permission when converting a former pub into residential use, provided certain conditions are met. He said this was to help simplify the process, cut down on costs and time delays, and give property owners more certainty. It helped unlock the pathway for underused and closed pubs to be quickly repurposed into homes. Mr Gilligan outlined what needs to be done, saying: "You do have to fill out an application form to the local authority, a change of use from from commercial to residential and there is a minimum of two weeks' notice required to be furnished to the planning authority prior to the commencement of works. "Floor areas must comply with current design standards for new apartments and also natural light must serve each living room bedroom of the building. "There are a number of things you still have to do, but the main thing is that you have to notify the local authority a minimum of two weeks that you're actually going to commence the works." Mr Gilligan said there is scope for the policy to be expanded to include more commercial properties. "There was a report commissioned by the drinks Industry Group of Ireland that did show a continuing decline in the number of pubs in Ireland with 2,119, or one in four, closing their doors since 2005." In Mayo alone, 135 pubs have closed since 2005. That is a decline of 28.9%. An average of 112 pubs have stopped trading in Ireland every year. There is an estimated 600 to 1,000 closures estimated over the next 10 years, he said. "We are seeing the decline in the drinks/pub industry. A lot of these pubs are in town and village centres where people want to live." "Apart from the housing need, which this is helping to meet, it's also helping to breathe new life into our communities, help rejuvenate the town centres and that's very important as well. It would be great to see further expansion of the scheme and a continuation of it, because there's a lot more to do," he added.
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
Tony Holohan's reluctance to admit mistakes sits badly with the national mood
Prof Tony Holohan's withdrawal from the presidential race is a mercy – not just for him, but for the rest of us. We are spared the bear-baiting with the cervical-cancer controversy and the pandemic, the performative outrage and vile social media that would have plunged all concerned into a sewer stripped of nuance and context. That Covid still scratches the national psyche hardly helps. A recent five-year anniversary Mass for a Kildare man who died during lockdown morphed into the warm, crowded service denied to his family in 2020. His favourite music was sung and the same eulogies given by his adult children five years ago at his lonely graveside were delivered to a packed congregation. What was surprising for a five-year memorial was how immediate and raw it felt. READ MORE It was an experience hardly unique to Ireland, but it is Holohan's burden to be forever associated with it. That his wife Emer was also buried under the harshest Covid rules would not have spared him from the vitriol. Inevitably, some were salivating at the idea of using his appearances as Covid inquisitions. Which raises the question – again – of why people put their heads above the presidential parapet. Holohan must have felt he had done the state some service. He had answered the call for a calm, firm, trustworthy medical leader to guide Ireland through an unprecedented public health crisis, while attending to his dying wife – all of which surely made him the very definition of a president. But no leader survives those multiple levels of hell without making mistakes – and Holohan's reluctance to admit to any mistakes sits badly with the mood of the times. Issues can be argued – as he did in his memoir – but few will listen. They don't want to hear ifs or buts or blame being ascribed elsewhere, even if it belongs there. They want to hear humility and unconditional admissions: 'Yes, I made a mistake.' Ill-wishers will grab it as vindication of course – 'Hah, told you he had blood on his hands.' But unlike other hapless hopefuls, Holohan would have known all the questions about to be catapulted at him. His USP would have been that of someone intimately familiar with the ferocity, filthy betrayals and short-termism of politics without being an actual politician. Even before his withdrawal, the weekend's media was distinguished by the startling number of pundits trotting out several of those same points as reasons Bertie Ahern should proceed with confidence. He has the experience, the likability and the peace process in his arms, they say. He has been interrogated to the max. No question on earth would surprise the one who – to quote the revered Blackadder – is as cunning as a fox who's just been appointed professor of cunning at Oxford University. And time, as we know, can soften even the sharpest memories. It's 17 years since he was taoiseach, 13 since he resigned from Fianna Fáil following the Mahon tribunal finding that he failed to account truthfully for payments of IR£165,000 made to accounts connected to him. Anyone seeking signs of contrition might catch a 2018 Deutsche Welle 'Conflict Zone' interview which sees him happily answering questions about the peace negotiations – until asked about the tribunal. 'Did you clear your name?' the interviewer asks. 'Yes, I did. I'm quite happy I cleared my name', he answers. But that wasn't 'truthful', the interviewer says. 'The tribunal gave its views … and I gave my evidence. I was very happy with my evidence', he replies, as if it were all just a matter of opinion. He ends it by getting up and leaving. 'A first on dwZone,' as DW's Twitter link described it. Since then, Micheál Martin – who sought to kick Ahern out of the party before he resigned – has consulted him about issues around the Northern Ireland protocol, acknowledging his 'invaluable insights' and range of contacts. When reminded of that threatened expulsion a few years ago, Martin said: 'It's 10 years on, I'm conscious of the contribution he has made to peace in the country. He made a very significant contribution.' Leo Varadkar , who in the Dáil once described Ahern's claims of wins on the horses as 'a defence for drug dealers and pimps', had also ratcheted down his tone by 2023, saying the remarks were made 'at a particular point in time and if you look at the totality of Bertie Ahern's career, you know, let's not forget that he was one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement … I don't think anyone can diminish the role that he played'. Just a month ago, Ahern was at 5 per cent in an Irish Times/IpsosB&A presidency poll. Last Sunday he was up at 14 per cent, tying for third place with Mary Lou McDonald in a Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll. Which brings us back to the old question: is there an optimum time for society to say, enough punishment, all that was at a particular point in time, look at the balance of his life? How many years? Does it matter if the offender has never acknowledged they did wrong in the first place? As one professor leaves the stage, the professor of cunning hovers, batting his eyelashes, saying nothing, waiting, smiling and waiting.
