Councillors look to secure future of Strandhill airport

A TASK force is to be assembled as the next step towards ensuring the future of Sligo Airport, which is located in Strandhill. Sligo County Council confirmed this development after several councillors – Sinead Maguire, Donal Gilroy, Thomas Walsh and Martin Baker – brought motions forward calling for the safeguarding of the airport, which is the base of operations for the Rescue 118 helicopter.

Cllr Gilroy said that in addition to securing its future, funding is needed for upgrades. He also said that moving Rescue 118 anywhere else would be counter-productive in its efforts to cover an area from Clifden to Belfast.

“This has gone on for some time. Sligo County Council is a 50 per cent owner of this facility and we were taken aback when it was described as a private company in the Dail and that is not a political statement.”

“The bottom line is the coffers are empty, everything has been put in the pot – there is nothing left. Jim Gavin of the Irish Aviation Authority has insisted on certain emergency safety measures being taken to bring the airport up to standard.

“We aren’t classified as a regional airport because there are no regional flights here. Waterford is classed as a regional airport and they have no regional flights.”

“Myself and Cllr Declan Bree brought a motion to the North West Regional Assembly and we got backing from all members.

“Strandhill is the perfect location, if this ended up moving to Dunloe or Knock, we would be in serious trouble.”

Cllr Thomas Walsh said the airport is now facing a decade without funding despite now being Ireland’s busiest coast guard base.

“The airport has been ignored for long enough without receiving a single euro since 2011.

“It is imperative funding is made available for the work to be carried out on the runway.

“The coast guard here is the busiest base in the country and to put that into perspective, there was 227 search and rescue missions carried out in 2020 from Sligo.”

The issue was brought back into the spotlight by TD Marian Harkin in December when she questioned the lack of funding. Cllr Marie Casserly said the Indepedent representative has since received positive responses and it is hoped funding will be announced in the near the future.

“Marian Harkin raised this with several ministers and she has received positive responses about funding being made available.

“I would be hopeful an official announcement will be made in the coming weeks. We cannot afford to lose this vital service in the north west.”

A proposal was put forward for Sligo County Council in conjunction with the Sligo Airport Board, North West Regional Assembly, Sligo Chamber, Sligo Bid, IDA Ireland, Sligo Bay Lifeboat Station, IT Sligo and other interested parties form a cross community task force to ensure the future of the airport.

Head of enterprise John Reilly stated that this is a work in progress.

He said: “It is suggested that the Sligo Economic Forum, which comprises key players for the purpose of the economic development of Sligo, is well placed to pursue the role envisaged by members for the proposed Task Force.

“The chairman of the Economic Forum and the manager of Sligo Airport have indicated their agreement to this approach.”