
Ireland West Airport receives €5.6 million Department of Transport funding
This will fund various capital projects at the airport, including construction of a new aerodrome fire training centre, security systems upgrades, air traffic control charts, electrical infrastructure upgrades, a solar PV farm, an electrical hi loader, an electrical ambulift, an air traffic control engineering vehicle replacement, aeronautical ground lighting (agls) and airport carbon accreditation level 4 transition.
The airport will invest over €1.1 million to support the completion of these projects in addition to the exchequer funding.
Ireland West is expecting another record year for passenger numbers, which have grown 11 percent on the first four months of 2024.
Last year, the airport welcomed 834,000 passengers, marking its busiest year since its official opening on May 30, 1986.
Arthur French, Chairman of Ireland West Airport, welcomed the funding announcement, thanking Ministers Darragh O'Brien, Dara Calleary and Alan Dillon for their support.
Mr French said the funding would help the airport 'maintain compliance with relevant EU safety and security regulatory requirements and also in supporting six key projects with a fundamental sustainability focus'.
'We thank the Minister and Government again for this strong show of support for the airport and look forward to the finalising of the new Regional Airports Programme later this year to cover the period 2026 to 2030 which will be a vitally important programme to support the airport's future growth and investment plans,' he added.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Government's NDP is 'fantasy economics', says O'Callaghan
The Government's National Development Plan is based on a "very optimistic scenario" and "falls into the realm of fantasy economics", Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan has said. Coalition leaders finalised the revised NDP yesterday, which is the Government's scheme to build infrastructure such as roads, rail, electricity connections and sewage schemes over the coming years. The Government said that total spending over the coming five years as part of the plan will be almost €100 billion. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Deputy O'Callaghan said the plan was published "as if there was going to be no major fallout from the tariffs and the potential trade war with the US". Mr O'Callaghan, who is his party's spokesperson on public expenditure and reform, said "it is likely that it will not be possible" for the Government to deliver on all the promises made during the election due to tariffs. He stressed that the Government has published statements and forecasts "based on a 0% tariff rate". Funding for housing in the NDP will be the largest part of the €100bn plan, while the Coalition has promised to cut the rate of VAT for the food service industry. Mr O'Callaghan said that the Government should focus on accommodation and food, adding that his party does agree with targeted support for the hospitality industry. He said investment in infrastructure in Ireland is behind comparable countries, with a 25% lower rate of investment in infrastructure in recent years in Ireland. "So that means, in September when children go back to school, you've got kids in schools with leaking roofs where the rain water comes in and it is captured in buckets," he said. He added that the country is "way behind" in terms of public transport, adding that there are "huge pressures" around housing and healthcare, where he said investment is "absolutely key". Mr O'Callaghan also said there are significant gaps in funding in healthcare, adding that elective hospitals are underfunded in the plan. He also said that Ireland has a "much less productive" construction sector than other countries and described the NDP as "the vaguest document" the Government has ever published.


RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Trump says he will use import restrictions to reduce drug prices
US President Donald Trump said he would use import restrictions to force foreign suppliers to cut drug prices and that pharmaceutical companies would have a lot of problems if they did not agree to bring prices down. Speaking at the White House at an event with Republican politicians, Mr Trump pledged to reduce what consumers must pay for prescription drugs. The US is the biggest market by sales for big pharma companies, and Europe and the US have interconnected supply chains for medicines with the pharmaceutical sector employing around 45,000 people in Ireland. Total Irish exports were valued at €223.8 billion last year, with roughly one third going to the US. Of the €72.6 billion in US imports from Ireland, approximately €58 billion relates to pharmaceuticals and chemicals leaving Ireland. Pharmaceutical companies have previously expressed concern about the threat of tariffs and what they would mean for investment in Europe. In April, a number of pharmaceutical companies sent a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warning that the EU could lose €100bn in new investment unless there is a rethinking on regulation and pricing. The letter was sent by around 30 CEOs of some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.


RTÉ News
9 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Government to review work permit occupations lists
The Government has announced the opening of a consultation period to allow stakeholders make submissions on the work permit occupations lists. The Critical Skills Occupations List consists of jobs that are in short supply in Ireland and across the European Economic Area (EEA) including roles in areas such as medicine, ICT, sciences, finance and business. The Ineligible Occupations List consists of occupations for which there is an adequate supply of labour and skills, and for which an employment permit will not be issued. The last review of the occupations lists took place in 2023, and resulted in 11 additional roles being placed on the Critical Skills Occupations List, and 32 roles being made eligible for a General Employment Permit. As part of the review process, submissions are sought from employers, representative bodies, Government departments, agencies, and other interested parties relating to occupations currently included on or absent from the lists. "At a time of full employment, with over 2.81 million people at work, and with 90,000 new jobs created in the last year, it is vital that we continue to have a strong and flexible employment permits system to allow non-EEA nationals to fill the skill and labour gaps we cannot access in Ireland or Europe and to ensure our economy remains competitive," Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment said. "As demonstrated by the changes made to the employment permit system over the last year, the system is responsive to the needs of the sectors and industries it serves," he added. Alan Dillon, Minister of State for Small Business, Retail and Employment, said that non-EEA nationals that fill skills and labour gaps in the domestic economy are a vital part of the Irish economy. "Where employers or stakeholders are facing challenges in recruiting a specific occupation and believe it should be eligible for an employment permit, or believe a certain occupation should move onto the critical skills list, now is their opportunity to share this feedback," Mr Dillon said. Submissions will be accepted through an online consultation form on the Department of Enterprise website and will be open until 19 September.