Acts on commitment made in the National Aviation Policy
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, today (Monday) launched the National Civil Aviation Development Forum at the headquarters of the Irish Aviation Authority in Dublin. The event was attended by representatives of airlines, airports, aircraft leasing companies, the public sector, academic institutions, and other bodies.
The Minister welcomed the Forum as a new platform for policy makers, development agencies and stakeholders to collaborate in order to shape aviation policies and initiatives in the common interest of the sector. Recognising the contribution of aviation to the economy, the Forum will also seek to foster the growth of aviation enterprise in Ireland to support job creation and position Ireland as a global leader in aviation.
Opening the Forum Minister Donohoe said: ‘A strong aviation sector is essential for Ireland and does not simply expand as the economy does, but rather drives that economic growth. It connects us to the rest of the world. It supports tourism. It ensures our continuing attractiveness for Foreign Direct Investment and for job creation generally. The launch of the Forum acts on the specific commitment made in the National Aviation Policy that Ireland will establish a National (Civil) Aviation Development Forum led by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and with appropriate representation across Government and the industry’.
The Minister congratulated the stakeholders for their contribution to the sector during his term of office which saw the Irish aviation sector grow from strength to strength.
“2015 was a year of particularly strong growth and record numbers for Irish aviation, with a record 1 million flights handled safely and efficiently through Irish air space and the North Atlantic, and with almost 30 million people using Irish airports last year. This aviation sector is absolutely crucial to our long term economic plan which will see the creation of more and better jobs, that will make work pay, and that will generate the revenues needed to invest in our vital public services”. Minister Donohoe concluded.
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Notes for Editors
The idea for the National Civil Aviation Development Forum arose out of the consultation process leading to the development of the National Aviation Policy published in August 2015. That process was inaugurated at an open meeting hosted by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) in December 2012, attended by more than 400 stakeholders representing numerous interests in the Irish aviation sector. The National Aviation Policy, which was published in August 2015, confirmed that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport would enhance arrangements for consulting with the industry on the development of national policy and on influencing the development of EU and international policy affecting aviation in Ireland. The Policy acknowledged the need for cooperation and coordinated efforts of industry, education, government, regulatory and development bodies to make it happen.