Tipperary offers support to Waterford Airport

At a recent meeting of Tipperary County Council within the Carrick-on-Suir municipal district, councillors David Dunne, Amy Goldsboro, Kieran Bourke, Mark Fitzgerald and Michael Brennan urged their local authority to contact the relevant bodies to seek support for Waterford Airport.

Forwarding the motion, Cllr Kieran Bourke said, "To allow the South East to develop I believe the local authority must give support to the committee who are trying to get Waterford Regional Airport upgraded to a proper airport.”

Cllr David Dunne, who seconded the motion, said, “For industry, for tourism, for everything, it’s essential that we have that airport up and running properly.” 

Meanwhile, back in Waterford, Cllr Mary Roche enquired this week about the possibility of Waterford City and County Council borrowing the €12 million needed to expand the airport runway.

She added that the issue of Waterford Airport "has been hanging like the sword of Damocles over our heads".

"I have the question for the Chief Executive, should we as a council strategically be borrowing the €12 million that the airport needs for its expansion. Would that be a good use of our money?" she said.

Responding to the query, Chief Executive of Waterford Council Sean McKeown said he believes the council should not attempt such.

“Would this local authority put in the €12 million? I wouldn’t be in favour of doing that," he said.

"First of all we’d have to borrow the money ourselves, but the important reason for not being in support of that in my view is we need the regional airport in Waterford to be a part of aviation policy nationally, the same as Knock and Kerry airports, for example, who received national funding."

Mr. McKeown said that "we would forever cut ourselves off from government funding" if the Council decided to procure funds themselves for the runway extension.