Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton T.D., today announced the provision of over €23 million in direct Exchequer supports to the airports of Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Ireland West (Knock), Kerry and Donegal.
As part of an €80m package of supports that was announced for Irish aviation last November, the Government gave a commitment to securing EU approval for a €26 million scheme to help compensate airports for the damage caused by Covid.
As part of an €80m package of supports that was announced for Irish aviation last November, the Government gave a commitment to securing EU approval for a €26 million scheme to help compensate airports for the damage caused by Covid. Of this amount, €20 million is being provided to State airports – Dublin, Cork and Shannon – in line with a measure under Article 107(2)(b) of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). This measure is compensating airports for a portion of the damage caused by Covid to airport business in the period 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020.
The remaining €6 million is being provided, in two phases, to the airports of Ireland West, Kerry and Donegal under sections 3.1 and 3.12 of EU’s Temporary Framework for State aid measures to support the economy in the current emergency of COVID-19. Almost half of this amount, which relates to losses in 2020, is being announced today. The remainder will be disbursed in December following an assessment by the Department of Transport of eligible losses in the current year to end 2021.