"I apologise for any offence caused": Minister Lawless on Waterford Airport comments

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, James Lawless TD, has apologised today for describing the Waterford Airport business plan as "a pig in a poke" in the Dáil last week.

"I apologise for any offence caused, it certainly wasn't the intention," Minister Lawless said to Damien Tiernan on Waterford Local Radio, after the Minister drew significant criticism last week by downplaying the strength of the business case for the extension of the runway at Waterford Airport.

"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 poke to an extent, based on a business case that, being frank, could be stronger... could be a lot stronger," Minister Lawless said in response to a parliamentary question in Dáil Éireann last week.

“I do have a robust style, perhaps, and I speak frankly,” the under fire Minister said on WLR and stated that what he said in the Dáil was “entirely consistent with what I’ve been saying in Parliamentary Questions all summer.” 

“Let me just talk you through what that phrase means to my mind,” the Minister of State said, commenting that when he had worked as a councillor alongside a “very wise older councillor who used to serve with me”,  who he said, had an expression every time the council had to perform a land acquisition.

“I always remembered that he’d say, ‘let’s just check this out, let’s make sure we aren’t getting a pig in a poke here’,” Minister Lawless said.

“What he meant by this, to put it in a different way, was due diligence. Have we got the 'Ts' crossed and the 'Is' dotted? That’s what he meant by that, not that it was flawed or inferior or something like that, but just to say ‘let’s get this done right. 

Minister Lawless admitted he hadn't yet visited Waterford airport during the 114 days he has been in office, but said he had a scheduled visit to the airport in November.

“I’ve tried my best to get around the country, and I’ve got to many, many places,” he said but noted that his visit to Waterford Airport next month was subject to the calling of an election.

The Minister said that the Waterford Airport proposal had only come to his attention when he took to office on June 27, this year, but said that since his appointment he had “listened with great interest to stakeholders” as well as Waterford’s elected representatives, who he said had all had meetings with him about the airport since June.

“I have an obligation under the public spending code and under infrastructure guidelines," he said.

"People make various arguments about the legitimate desire for the south east and for Waterford to have an airport to attract investment, to facilitate people travelling for leisure and to provide connectivity to the region," he added.

"I completely understand and share that ambition but under law, I have to judge it on the 29-page business case that was submitted to my department last December.”

The Minister said that the business case submitted to him did not include many elements of the existing public discussion and as a result he was not allowed to consider them in the ministerial decision.

“All I’m saying to Waterford Airport is to do the same as every other proposal that comes to government which is; to engage on the details, go through a robust business case, get it to the stage that I or Minister Ryan – or indeed the Taoiseach if he wants to put it in the agenda of cabinet – can bring it forward at a stage where it is going to get the go-ahead," he said.

“I actually want to bring this forward, and I’m actually quite hopeful. I want to thank the board for a constructive meeting yesterday," he added.

The Minister maintained his statement that Waterford Airport could return to turboprop airplanes, to which radio host, Damien Tiernan, challenged him: “Why would an airport go back to an unsustainable method of transport in order to prove that a sustainable model, a low-cost jet model – would work?”

In response the Minister said: "I just think that it is worth considering that option, there are a couple of different ways forward [for Waterford Airport] and any robust business case, any appraisal, has to look at all of the options. We have asked the airport to look at that option."

“I’m not saying they have to do it, but I’m saying if we want to give this the best chance, [the proposal] must be as robust as it possibly can," said Minister Lawless.

"I want to reiterate, I want this to succeed, I want to this to move to the next stage and do this as a Minister.” 

A decision on the funding proposal is still pending, waiting for the Ministers to make a determination on the project based on the appraisal.