FEIGHAN POSITIVE ABOUT AIRPORT
MINISTER of State, Frank Feighan has sounded a positive note about the future for Sligo Airport and the funding for essential works there in order to retain the Coast Guard’s search and rescue service.
A meeting between Department of Transport officials, The Irish Coast Guard and Management and members of the Board of Directors of Sligo Airport took place last Tuesday in Dublin and Minister Feighan said there was now a clear pathway for the required funding to be provided for capital investment works at the airport in Strandhill in order to support the continuation of the search and rescue service.
The meeting was attended by Minister Feighan, Marc MacSharry TD, Marian Harkin TD, Department of Transport Airport Division officials, The Irish Coast Guard and representatives of the Sligo Airport Board of Directors.
Minister Feighan said: “There needs to be improved communication in the coming days on this issue between the Department of Transport and CHC, the company which operates the Search and Rescue service on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard.
“I am confident that Sligo Airport will be ready, willing and able to deliver the required runway and lighting upgrade works on time.
“This will significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the airport in supporting the very important Coast Guard Search and Rescue Services throughout the area covered by the Sligo base from Galway to Belfast.
“We now just need to find the funding to support these works.
“From this meeting I wanted to understand what the issues were in relation to the potential problems from the Department side and I am now pleased that we have identified a mechanism whereby funding can be provided to assist Sligo with these essential capital works.
“As a result of commitments made at the meeting, I am now satisfied that there is no threat to the future of this vital search and rescue service or about it being moved from Strandhill for the duration of the contract currently in place which runs until 2023.
“I will now be working with my Oireachtas colleagues over the coming days to ensure that this funding will be delivered to Sligo Airport to support the retention of the Search and Rescue Base there without further delay.”
Deputy Marc MacSharry has also written to the Taoiseach, Micheal Martin requesting that funding of €800,000 be provided to the airport.
Deputy MacSharry revealed that the airport needed funding for runway end safety areas together with the associated lighting alternations, the latter being the more costly parts of the required works as they required the reposition of lighting throughout the entire runway. The airport was in a position to fund much of the works from their its own resources but in order to complete the works it required €500,000 in capital expenditure support from Government.
In addition, said Deputy MacSharry in a letter to Mr Martin, the airport was seeking €100,000 per year for just three years to help them overcome the unforeseen impact on its activity and income from the Covid-19 pandemic.