Waterford Airport.

Unless you have detailed knowledge of the local situation in the south east it is best stay stum

There is a reason that FG lost 2 seats here and labour lost 1..FF may loose their seat and the next GE and the Greens will loose their seat for sure

Have a read of the article below to give a good overview as to how Waterford has been shafted by the political establishment and the permanent government

https://waterford-news.ie/opinion/phoenix-leadership-and-development_arid-23327.html

And therein lie the problem. Ye vote for anti government opposition candidates.

No point in 20k people voting for David cullinane when he is sitting in opposition with no say in the matter. You need a seat at the table and unfortunately unless you have a strong FFG politician (as unpalatable as that is) nothing in the south east will change .

Lets be clear, I don't think anyone believes there is a conspiracy against Waterford or at the start of each Dail term ministers sit down and form a pact on how they have stifle Waterford.

Waterford has been and continues to be neglected not through some conspiracy but through lack of any decent political representation and in-house fighting in the South East, and that is where the issue lies.

Let's take WIT as an example.

WIT was one vote away from obtaining standalone University status in 2008. Two independent reports since have suggested Waterford should on merit obtain stand alone University status, the latest hunt report stated on its own WIT was performing at TU level in 2015.

Since 2008 we have not seen one teaching development take place in WIT, campus services striped, funding practically absent etc etc.

Meanwhile out political representatives pat themselves on the back for delivering a TU. Every neighbouring county wanted a piece of WIT and rather than support University status for Waterford they wanted a slice of the pie and banged the TU drum.

The airport issue proves the in-house fighting, I have yet to here someone from Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow etc questioning the airport issue yet we were blue in face hearing politicians from Wexford Kilkenny and Carlow about how Waterford needs to play ball and deliver a TU.

Absolute **** representation in Waterford and stronger political representation in neighbouring counties has us where we are not some mad conspiracy.

Unless Waterford gets 5 seats or a full minister we are at nothing and that is the cold hard fact.

As for the airport it's comical at this stage, we have had a Taoiseach on record several times stating how positive the airport would be for Waterford and the Southeast and how Waterford and southeast needs a airport and stating the benefits it would bring yet here we are still flapping around with business reports.

The issues you describe are standard across Ireland. Governments rarely deliver promises. It isn't an anti Waterford conspiracy. Get some fresh air.

Some horseshit being spouted and the sense of smug self entitlement is striking. Are we supposed to be embarrassed at being the “human beings” clogging up spaces in “other peoples hospitals” now?? Do you you need the beds for your pets?

For the fiftieth time: there is no conspiracy against Waterford, just a conspiracy to grow their own backyards by those with power. The power lies in Dublin and Cork with their swathes of ministers and also the all powerful “Wesht” lobby with its weaponised poor mouth.

There is no coherent lobby for the South East and any bones thrown this way are for the five seat Wexford or Carlow/Kilkenny constituencies. Resources are finite, even if we are currently running a surplus, so allocations go to ministers constituencies first.

They know a fully equipped 24/7 cath lab is better than a small factory in terms of good paying secure jobs with spin off in the community. The same with Universities and the airport. If you expand these in Waterford, it might drag investment from elsewhere so avoid, delay, deflect as long as you can.

Someone mentioned that we elect 2FF, 1 FG and 1 Lab forever. That hasn’t happened for about 40 years. We have elected PDs. SF, Greens and independents. It doesn’t matter a whit because there are only 4 of them lined up against huge numbers in Dublin, Cork and the Wesht. Until some politician comes along with the fairly obvious vision that a more prosperous SE would be good for the country, nothing will change whether we vote 4 Lemasses or 4 Ming’s.

In the meantime we can only go cap in hand to “other peoples” hospitals and airports. Be sure to apologize to them for taking up their space and don’t forget to show your gratitude.

Might as well get back on topic

The comedy of this is getting out of hand. The new minister of Transport "Deputy Lawless said he was committed to progressing Waterford Airport further."

Provide the funding so! I swear to God, if you didn't laugh it would drive you to insanity.

Leo once said this as Taoiseach

"An extended runway would really help to boost the whole region’s international connectivity, benefitting both Irish and international passengers for years to come,’ said prime minister Leo Varadkar. 

“Improved connectivity through Waterford Airport would make the south east an even more attractive place in which to live, work, do business and raise a family. It would also help to open up this beautiful region to many more visitors"

If the Taoiseach is saying something like the above it shouldn't even need a business case, he was spouting the benefits that it would bring but yet not providing any funding.

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/waterford/news/deep-frustration-felt-in-waterford-at-constant-delays-to-airport-runway-extension/a286037604.html

I understand that if the airport go ahead was given now, that procurement would take at least two months, meaning that work could not start late September because of aviation rules about ground compaction and winter construction for airports. If this is correct, then that means the project has already been booted to 2025, if it gets go ahead, with a possible completion for 2026.

Its not a conspiracy…..its a bucket of shi#.

Waterford Airport with a standard runway would be a significant contributor to the local economy. Is it the perception that as opposed to growing the pie, this would take from the Dublin/Cork pie that has our project stalled?

It has been done before and I still have the share certs somewhere. When Cork Airport raised a huge debt did the government tell the goodly burgers cois Lee to go fund me…? Debt forgiveness or transfer to DAA? Give over with these nonsense suggestions. This is strategic regional infrastructure and has to attract state funding.

The councils in the region are contributing, private enterprise is contributing and matching funding is being sought.

Great to see but it still baffles me, she is in FF, FF are in government so it should be easy for them to tell the minister of Transport, sign off the plan and give the funding.

I like this lady! The only one speaking some sense. I hope to see some movement off of the back of that.

Harris weaponising doorstep protests outside politicians homes. It's implied any right minded person would be against this, including Shanahan, but Harris will block any further discourse on any topic until it's directed back onto this. His safe space is victimhood and pity seeking. How long can he milk the victimhood cow?

100%, no one including Shanahan agrees with the levels of abuse politicians are getting.

Harris used it to by step the questions in relation to SETU, cardiac Care and the Airport.

When you listen to the levels of support, flood defence system, redevelopment of the Apple market, Greenway, fire station, court house, all nice to have to be fair and makes Waterford that bit more attractive, but none of those deliver a massive economic shift, whereas a NUI, stand alone modal 4 hospital or runway extension would yield massive economic advantage.

FGs legacy for 15 years

Flood defence system

Apple market

Greenway

Fire station

Court house

North Quays infrastructure

All the above has also be developed elsewhere, flood defence's, redevelopment of city/town centres, greenways, fire stations, court houses, new pedestrian bridges/roads, all these have happened in the majority of cities and towns across Ireland, so if anything we are getting the bare needs from government, both Galway and Athlone pedestrian bridges were built and opened before Waterford's new bridge so there is nothing new here for Waterford.

If FG somehow win a seat back in Waterford I will be raging!

The next 15 years will consist of

New engineering building

Cardiac care 8-8

Connecting Waterford Greenway to New Ross

North Quays infrastructure works

We will still be talking about SETU, Hospital and the Airport.

…tbf, theyre awash with corporate tax reciepts, so get spending it!

Imagine having John Cummins fight out corner in FG!

Nothing of note will happen until FG can use it to get a seat back at next election ..