Latest news with #McConalogue
Irish Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Post
Dublin to Derry flights could be back by 2026
MORE than decade after it vanished from departure boards, flights between Dublin and the City of Derry Airport (CoDA) could be restarted by the end of 2026. The route, which was dropped in 2011, has long been considered a missing cog in the transportation infrastructure of the area. At its peak, the airport welcomed nearly 130,000 passengers in the July–September period of 2011. In comparison, passenger numbers during the same time in 2023 stood at just 48,000, highlighting the steep drop in usage following route cancellations and the broader impact of the pandemic. Irish Minister of State and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue confirmed that talks are taking place to revive the route, which would be supported through a public service obligation (PSO) scheme. PSO routes involve government subsidies to maintain air services that are not financially viable on a commercial basis but are deemed essential for regional connectivity. McConalogue emphasised the Irish government's commitment to the project, highlighting that the restoration of the route was a stated goal in the current programme for government. He also noted the involvement of the Irish transport minister, Darragh O'Brien, who is expected to meet with airport management in the coming weeks to move things along. The loss of the Dublin route has been widely acknowledged as a setback for Derry, Donegal and the broader northwest region. McConalogue described it as a 'real disadvantage', stressing the importance of restoring international connectivity and the potential for the route to support local economic growth. The initiative is being developed with input from the Irish government's Shared Island Unit, which was created in 2020 to support cross-border infrastructure and investment. This unit has played a role in many large-scale projects in Northern Ireland, including upgrades to the A5 road and the redevelopment of Casement Park. City of Derry Airport welcomed the news, describing the efforts as a 'positive development' and underscoring the importance of economic links between Dublin and the northwest. Airport representatives noted that reinstating the route could help sustain local employment and improve overall accessibility for the region. This announcement follows a separate commitment to continue subsidising direct flights between Derry and Heathrow until March 2027. That service, operated by Loganair, is supported by a joint funding package from Northern Ireland's Department for the Economy and the UK Department for Transport, totalling £4.6 million. If successful, the reintroduction of the Dublin–Derry route could offer renewed opportunities for tourism, business and community development. A significant factor for travellers is time; while taking a car, bus or train can take anywhere between three and a half to five hours, a flight would only take between 20 and 40 minutes. However, with these benefits, there are also environmental concerns. Short-haul flights are among the most carbon-intensive forms of transport, and their environmental impact is especially questionable when viable alternatives, such as rail, exist. Considering the global climate crisis, expanding air travel this way could draw criticism from environmental groups. These worries are already shaping transport policy in other parts of Europe. France has taken the bold step of banning domestic short-haul flights where train journeys of two and a half hours or less are available. This policy, implemented in 2023, aims to cut carbon emissions by encouraging travellers to choose trains instead of flights. In this landscape, proposals like the Dublin–Derry route raise questions about whether government-subsidised flights are a sustainable solution, especially if greener options, like cross-border rail upgrades, could serve similar purposes with far less cost to the environment.
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Dublin to Derry flights ‘could resume by 2026' in boost to north-west region
Flights between City of Derry Airport (CoDA) and Dublin were cancelled in 2011. The airport is currently the least busy of three major airports in the north of Ireland. Recent air travel numbers from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) revealed the airport's summer quarter 2023 saw it welcome 48,000 travellers. The number is less than half the airport's strongest recorded quarter, when it saw close to 130,000 travellers in July-September 2011. Since that high point, the airport has faced the loss of routes like Ryanair's former Derry to Dublin flight, and the disruption of the global pandemic. Donegal TD Mr McConalogue told BBC News NI that talks to reinstate the Derry to Dublin route are ongoing. "The Irish government are committed to stepping this forward, have put a timeline in place as to how we can make this happen, and I have been liaising with the minister for transport and City of Derry management," he told BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show. McConalogue said it been a commitment in the Government's programme for government and that it would move forward. He added that next month the transport Minister Darragh O'Brien will meet the airport management. McConalogue said the loss has "been a real disadvantage to Derry, Donegal, and the north-west region". In April, it was announced that direct flights between Derry and Heathrow will continue to be subsidised for two more years. It followed an announced by Stormont Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald of £4.626 million of funding from her department and Westminster's Department for Transport. It will ensure the continuation of flights between CoDA and Heathrow until March 31, 2027.
Belfast Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Dublin to Derry flights ‘could resume by 2026' in boost to north-west region
An Irish Government minister has indicated that flights between Londonderry and Dublin could be reinstated by the end of 2026. Flights between City of Derry Airport (CoDA) and Dublin were cancelled in 2011. The airport is currently the least busy of NI's three major airports. Recent air travel numbers from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) reveal the airport's summer quarter 2023 saw it welcome 48,000 travellers. The number is less than half the airport's strongest recorded quarter, when it saw close to 130,000 travellers in July-September 2011. Since that high point, the airport has faced the loss of routes like Ryanair's former Derry to Dublin flight, and the disruption of the global pandemic. Irish Minister of State and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue told BBC News NI that talks to reinstate the Derry to Dublin route are ongoing. "The Irish government are committed to stepping this forward, have put a timeline in place as to how we can make this happen, and I have been liaising with the minister for transport and City of Derry management," he told BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show. McConalogue said it been a commitment in the Irish government's programme for government and that it would move forward. He added that next month the transport Minister Darragh O'Brien will meet the airport management. McConalogue said the loss has "been a real disadvantage to Derry, Donegal, and the north-west region". In April it was announced that direct flights between Londonderry and Heathrow will continue to be subsidised for two more years. It followed an announced by Stormont Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald of £4.626 million of funding from her department and Westminster's Department for Transport. It will ensure the continuation of flights between CoDA and Heathrow until March 31 2027.
Irish Independent
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Cork and Waterford camogie teams say decision to postpone Munster final shows ‘scant regard' for players
The row about camogie skorts has led to a final being postponed. Photo: Sportsfile The Munster senior camogie final between the two teams was postponed after both panels said that they would wear shorts instead of the mandatory skorts, in line with the rules of the Camogie Association. A meeting of the committee in charge of the Munster camogie championship took place yesterday with the decision made to delay the final until a later date. In a joint statement today, the Cork and Waterford senior camogie panels said: 'As a united group of players, we want to express our bitter disappointment that today's Munster Senior Camogie Final has been postponed. 'It shows scant regard for the preparation of players both physically and mentally to be ready for a provincial showpiece, to make this decision just 16 hours before the scheduled throw-in. 'Anyone with an understanding of what it takes to compete in elite sport knows that this could never be in the best interests of players. 'We feel completely let down. Both panels had meticulously planned to peak for today. Training schedules and workload will now have to be readjusted, while not even knowing when the game will take place. 'There was an opportunity to take a step forward from the recent controversy. Instead, a provincial final has been postponed because we took control of what we would wear. 'To us, that feels like a massive step backwards.' Before the recent Leinster championship semi-final, the Dublin and Kilkenny teams were told the game would be abandoned unless they changed from shorts to skorts. Earlier this week, Sports Minister Charlie McConalogue appeared to support protesting camogie players, calling in the Dáil for a solution to the skorts row that everyone can be 'comfortable' with. Mr McConalogue was replying to comments from Fine Gael TD Joe Neville, who spoke of a recent 83pc survey that found players wanted an end to the requirement that they wear skorts while playing matches. Mr Neville said there should be a derogation to rule 10.5 (c) so that players could wear shorts instead, saying that recently the rules had to be enforced by a referee "put in a very difficult position'. Mr McConalogue said he was 'very much aware' of the issue, saying it was important that players engage now with the Camogie Association. "It's important they now come together to find a resolution to this which is comfortable for everyone," Mr McConalogue said. 'Making sure everybody's comfortable in terms of participating in sport is absolutely essential. 'I believe it's important that there's an agreed way forward which everybody can be comfortable with, and with players very much at the centre.'
Agriland
08-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Baling Assistance Payment won't be reinstated for 2025
Agriland understands that the Baling Assistance Payment (BAP), which was put in place last year to support tillage farmers in baling straw, will not be reinstated for 2025. In February, payments totaling €1.9 million began issuing to farmers under payment in respect of 2024. However, it is understood that the scheme was established as a one-off and will not be returning for 2025. However, it is also understood that the closely linked Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) will be making a comeback in 2025. The BAP was introduced in 2024 as an additional scheme to bolster fodder supplies, which ran in tandem with the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM). The payment gave farmers the choice to either receive funding by chopping straw under SIM or by baling it under BAP. The BAP came about after the former Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, had to roll back on his proposal at the time to pause the SIM, which was popular with tillage farmers. McConalogue had planned to pause SIM in an effort to save more straw for fodder over the housing period for cattle, rather than being incorporated into soil, amid poor grass growth last summer. Ultimately, McConalogue decided to reinstate the SIM while also introducing the BAP to help boost fodder supplies by providing a targeted support to farmers who chose to bale straw on a land parcel eligible for SIM, instead of chopping and incorporating it. According to the payment announcement for Baling Assistance in February, tillage farmers in Co. Wexford were in line to receive the largest number of payments, valued at over €434,000. Meanwhile, farmers in Co. Cork were set to get over €272,000, while farmers in Co. Carlow were in line to receive €235,000. At the time, the current Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, said that payment runs would continue per week as claims for payment were cleared by his department. The minister called on farmers to provide the required supporting documentation in order to get their payments cleared. This process is continuing. Last week (week ending Sunday, May 4), €125,000 issued to farmers who participated in the measure.
