Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has announced the allocation of almost €8 million in Exchequer funding to Regional Airports under the Regional Airports Programme 2026-2030.
Delivering on a Programme for Government commitment, this new five-year programme was published in February. For the first time, the programme has a broadened scope to support airports with up to three million annual passengers, making Shannon Airport eligible to receive support.
This funding will support capital investment in the areas of safety and security at airports, while also supporting projects with a sustainability focus, assisting airports to meet their carbon reduction targets as well as building resilience against climate change.
Commenting on the funding allocation, the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD., said, “I am pleased to allocate almost €8 million in capital funding this year to support Shannon, Ireland West (Knock), Kerry and Donegal airports. This level of targeted support, provided under this Government’s new Regional Airports Programme 2026-2030, is an indication of the importance the Government attaches to regional airports. This funding will support connectivity and balanced regional development, while seeking to maximise the use of existing capacity across our regional airports. Among the 32 projects being supported this year are replacement Fire Tenders at Shannon and Kerry airports. Other significant investments include new safety and security upgrades across all four airports. The funding will also enable the completion of a solar PV farm project at Ireland West Airport, which will provide the airport with electricity from renewable resources.”
And welcoming the announcement, the CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, Ray O’Driscoll, said: “We warmly welcome today’s confirmation of €1.93 million in capital funding for Shannon Airport in the first year of the Regional Airports Programme running from 2026 to 2030. This funding will support continued investment in essential airport safety and security infrastructure. We would like to thank Minister Darragh O’Brien and the Department of Transport for the funding and their continued support. We look forward to working closely with the Department as the Regional Airports Programme progresses.”
Also welcoming the funding was the Chairman of Ireland West Airport, Arthur French, who added, “We welcome today’s announcement of funding and acknowledge both the Minister and the Department of Transport for this support for the airport to maintain compliance with relevant EU safety and security regulatory requirements. This funding will support the latest phase of investment by the airport, including a major focus on a range of sustainability initiatives, aimed at futureproofing the airport as we prepare for another strong summer of passenger traffic at the airport.”
