Concern at 'raised expectations' over Mayo airport investment
A Mayo TD has spoken of the importance of not raising the public's expectations in regard to short-term investment in and around Ireland West Airport.
Sinn Féin Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh said before last November general elections there are 'nonsensical announcements and all that' in respect of the infrastructure.
The Opposition spokesperson on enterprise, tourism and employment elaborated: "It is a ten-year period before the strategic development zone will be put in place at the airport with utilities and all of that which needs to be done to develop this location.
"Things can be done in the meantime but people's expectations need to be managed.
"There is a critical opportunity here. In 2021, my party wrote to the European Commission seeking a total exemption from state aid rules for regional airports such as Ireland West Airport Knock due to the challenges of Brexit and Covid-19.
"Will the Minister of State Alan Dillon consider pursuing this objective to enable Ireland West Airport SDZ to reach its full potential?
"There is no western rail corridor and the all-island strategic rail review was grim reading for the north west.
"These issues are interconnected but they present a unique opportunity that we cannot wait to have implemented."
In response, Minister Dillon said balanced regional development is a key focus of the government.
"My department contributes to this objective through the work of its enterprise development agencies, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA as well as through the network of 31 LEOs which have a presence in every county.
"It is the responsibility of the nine regional enterprise plans which focus on initiatives to deliver growth in each of the nine regions of Ireland.
"The programme for government commits to considering the development of economic SDZs for the regions.
"An SDZ, as it has been until now, is a planning designation and is typically followed by the development of a planning scheme for the SDZ by the relevant local authority.
"The department has engaged with the SDZ at Ireland West Airport Knock, including through the provision of more than €200,000 per year over a two-year period to Mayo County Council for the development of a roadmap for the development of the SDZ.
"A project manager for this work, who was appointed in August of last year, is developing a roadmap setting out the process for the development of the SDZ, for example by identifying the infrastructure required to advance the site, identifying the challenges facing the development, facilitating access of funding to deliver on specific project elements, and supporting the communication of the vision of the SDZ at a local level and to other interested parties.
"The work of the project manager is overseen by a steering committee chaired by Mayo County Council and includes representatives from key stakeholders including the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, the Western Development Commission, the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, Atlantic Technological University, Ireland West Airport Knock and the Department.
"The most recent meeting of the steering committee took place in December, with the next meeting expected in March.
"Officials from the department have also liaised with relevant departments and State bodies on issues of relevance to the SDZ.
"The development requires focus and commitment. I welcome the appointment of Dominick Healy in August last year. He is a very competent project manager.
"The roadmap will build on the consensus of the steering committee stakeholders which comprise a number of State agencies and key local authorities.
"The completion timeline of two years has been set by the SDZ development roadmap.
"We have a timeline of August 2026, two years after the appointment of the project manager.
"We want to see, following that, a number of initiatives to ensure that there is investment in that strategic land bank to ensure it has critical services and utilities and that we have a plan to attract investment."