Opinion: The government have let the Déise down and that won't be forgotten quickly

I am going to preface this piece by saying I am a Tipp girl and a blow-in to the Déise.

I moved here almost exactly one year ago, and the thing I hear most about Waterford is that it is ignored.

Ireland’s fastest growing city is full of festivals, art, history and culture, but sadly not investment.

And people here feel let down by the Government.

They have had to fight tooth and nail to get basic healthcare services like 24/7 cardiac care.

Roads and lighting networks are underdeveloped, and the university and North Quays are only now being recognised.

And then there is the airport.

For decades the the local authority, along with private entities like the Bolster Group, have done their best to keep the airport afloat.

Years of being led in circles by the Government have ended in an anonymous investor going “here, I’ll do it”.

What this means in practical terms is that Waterford City and County Council have met and decided to sell the almost €2.5 million worth of land to a new airport company for a measly €50,000 and waive the public investment of €670,000.

It is hoped this will pave the way for the runway to be extended to accommodate passenger jets and allow the whole southeast region to grow economically.

Councillors agree that this, while not a perfect deal, it is the best deal they are going to get.

And that aside from continuing to pump money into a failing venture, this is their only choice.

In what he called a “political swipe,” Sinn Féin councillor Jim Griffin said at the special meeting on October 20, that the Government-affiliated councillors must feel like the “rug has been pulled out from under them.” They, along with every other Waterford Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillor before them, have done their best to keep the airport going while their parties in Government shrug at the notion of helping.

This might be a hot take, but I think the TDs were let down too.

I do think Mary Butler and John Cummins fought for the airport funding.

That is not by any means an indication of my political leanings but my experience as a journalist who covers local government.

I read the minutes of the meeting with the Minister for Transport in July and in that document, it was said on more than one occasion that both TDs expressed “disappointment and frustration”.

That right there is administrative code for, as a colleague of mine recently said, “absolutely raging.” Now, do with that information what you will when it comes to your vote.

It’s not like either Minister Cummins or Minister Butler will come out and say, if they indeed even think it.

But as we step into this new chapter with the airport’s anonymous fairy godmother, it is important to know that this could have been different.

If everything goes to plan, it won't matter to the airport.

But it will to the people here in the Déise.

This was a waste of an opportunity to show them that the Government is behind them and that Waterford can take its rightful place alongside Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.