Exclusive documents: Inside Minister's 'pig in a poke' scramble around Waterford Airport
"I have sent them a detailed response in an effort to win back the votes." We reveal the internal communication from inside the Department of Transport and Fianna Fáil during the Pig in a Poke controversy. Waterford Airport image by Joe Evans, design by Hugh Dooley.
Despite issuing an apology for describing Waterford Airport as 'a pig in a poke', Minister James Lawless said he believed the "candour" he used in discussing the proposal "benefited all parties" in private communications.
"I am emailing you in relation to your disingenuous comments towards the proposed development of Waterford Airport," reads just one email received by the then Minister of State at the Department for Transport.
Frustrated constituents contacted Waterford's Fianna Fáil TD Mary Butler who was left scrambling "in an effort to win back the votes", she said in an email to her party colleague.
A series of documents released to Waterford News & Star under the Freedom of Information Act tell the full story of the backlash to the now infamous comments.
The former Minister of State at the Department of Transport, James Lawless drew the ire of the south east for describing the business case for the redevelopment of Waterford Airport as 'a pig in a poke'.
The Board of Directors for Waterford Airport are seeking public funding support for the redevelopment of the regional airport's runway. The project received planning permission from An Bord Pleanála in early 2022.
The approved development would see the 1,433-metre-long runway extended by 491m to the north and 363m to the south, and will be widened by 30m in width to 45m. The purpose of the development is to attract commercial carriers to a new, jet-suitable runway - meeting the requirements to accept jet aircraft with the capacity to carry around 150 passengers.
The airport's private shareholders originally received a commitment for €5m of capital funding to fund the extension, from the Department of Transport in 2019, when the total cost estimate of the project was €12 million.
Since that commitment, construction cost inflation had led to the cost estimate rising significantly.
In a letter to local councillors in 2024, then-CEO of Waterford City and County Council Michael Walsh, explained that upon receiving planning permission, the airport had "undertaken detailed design work in consultation with the Irish Aviation Authority" which had led to a reevaluation of the cost profile for the project.
"The result is that the costs for an extended runway have now escalated to €27 Million," Mr Walsh wrote, noting that the surrounding county councils and private investors, the Bolster and Comer Groups co-operating under the name Devin Regional Investments, would each increase their funding to €3 million and €12 million respectively. That investment, the Chief Executive explained, would be subject to the government agreeing to match the private investors' contribution of €12 million.
In line with statutory regulations for public funding support for such projects, the Waterford Airport Company submitted to the Department for Transport, a document outlining the public benefits and expected regional return on investment for the government.
Seen by Waterford News & Star, the unreleased assessment of Waterford Airport’s 'Development Proposal' by the Department of Transport was prepared following a significant, twenty-event back and forth between the parties.
In mid-October 2024, Independent Waterford TD Matt Shanahan asked the Minister of Transport for an update on the Department's position on the proposal for government funding to extend Waterford Airport's runway.
Then-Minister of State, James Lawless dealt with the question and downplayed the viability of the project, raising concerns over whether it represented value-for-money for the public purse.
In a now infamous statement, Minister Lawless said: "Whether the money comes at the start, the middle or the finish, the fact is the State is being asked to contribute significant funding to buy a pig in a poke to an extent, based on a business case that, being frank, could be stronger... could be a lot stronger."
The comments drew significant public controversy, with nearly all of the Waterford representatives denouncing the comments, including his Fianna Fáil party colleague Minister of State, Mary Butler TD.
The CEO of Waterford Chamber of Commerce wrote a long and comprehensive letter to Minister Lawless in which he characterised the current plan as "both comprehensive and strategic". Minister Lawless responded with an even longer letter, engaging fully with the content of the Chamber's concerns.
Amid contacts from fellow TDs, and Fianna Fáil ministers requesting draft responses to constituents concerns, Minister Lawless also received a spate of angry emails from concerned citizens in the south east.
"I am emailing you in relation to your disingenuous comments towards the proposed development of Waterford Airport," reads one email received by the Minister. The author identified themself as a Fianna Fáil voter and threatened to migrate to another candidate "because of this issue".
Another concerned citizen described his comments as "not only highly inappropriate but also hypocritical" pointing to Fianna Fáil's previous support for the plans.
"The world according to Eamon Ryan's vision of a Green utopia where we are all happily walking and cycling on Greenways, while the Waterford economy and tourism is struggling to survive," the citizen wrote, "But you will find that come election time you and your like will not be forgotten."
Another local who emailed said it was "utterly unbelievable" that a junior minister would use such language on "an important and emotive issue for the south east."
"We are watching the city die, Junior Minister," the author said and called on Minister Lawless to make an apology.
A common trend among those registering their offence was a commitment to change their usual voting behaviour at the much-anticipated 2024 General Election.
One such person said they were looking forward to the next General Election "immensely" and promised to "register my own contempt at the ballot box for the behaviour of those representatives and parties that have treated the population of this county with arrogance, hypocrisy and disrespect."
When constituents raised their concerns to Deputy Mary Butler, she contacted her party colleague requesting he reply to the grievance.
'Dear James,' she wrote, 'I’d be grateful if you could consider enclosed and respond if possible.'
'I have sent them a detailed response in an effort to win back the votes. I think it would be very helpful if you could send them a quick reply.'
Days later, Minister Lawless spoke to Damien Tiernan on WLRFM.
"I apologise for any offence caused, it certainly wasn't the intention," he said but attempted to justify his use of the phrase noting he has "a robust style, perhaps, and I speak frankly".
Before and after the apology, Minister Lawless continued to send a largely standard email responses back to most of the complaints he received from the public to the local council. In the standard response, Minister Lawless said:
"I wish to acknowledge that a particular phrase used by me in what was at times a heated Dáil debate was unfortunate. However, I would like to think that my candour benefited all parties by affording the airport and other stakeholders an opportunity to re-engage on Waterford Airport's development proposal."
In an email to Waterford TD Matt Shanahan following the controversy, Minister Lawless admitted he had been contacted more frequently on the topic of Waterford Airport "in recent days than in the previous three months".
