Ireland South MEP candidate Cynthia Ni Mhurchu has welcomed €681,000 in funding for Kerry airport. The money will be used for capital investment in safety and security at Kerry airport, while also supporting projects with a sustainability focus.
Cynthia Ni Mhurchu has described it as a boost for Kerry, a county that depends heavily on tourism and inward investment,
"Small and regional airports like Kerry take the pressure off the larger hub airports. They drive tourism and foreign direct investment into parts of rural Ireland and increase general connectivity. Rather than being added on to policy documents as an afterthought, small and regional airports like Kerry should become pillars of the EU´s growth and Jobs Strategy.
"The EU Commission has decided to allow state aid to our regional airports in the EU for a transitional period of ten years from April 2014 during which airports with annual average traffic of up to 3 million passengers can receive operating aid. This was extended to 2027. I would call on Minister Jack Chambers to continue to invest in our regional airports like Kerry, in advance of the 2027 funding deadline.
"In the US the airport industry benefits from more than $3 billion of direct public funding every year. In addition, security costs are publicly financed. Our airports are vital pieces of social and economic infrastructure and we should continue to invest heavily in them to drive tourism and economic inward investment"
"For every 10,000 passengers that are brought through an airport, it has been shown to create 12 full time local jobs and numerous other indirect jobs."
ENDS