Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-05
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

I thank Deputy Doherty for raising this issue. I am acutely aware of the deep concern felt by people who live in Donegal and particularly, as the Deputy rightly pointed out, patients and their families who depend on this air service to access specialist medical care, including cancer treatment. He has given us a sense of the depth of feeling with so many people having signed a petition in such a short time. I am clear that the route is not about convenience. It is about trying to manage illness with dignity and reducing the physical and emotional strain of the long journeys. I have briefly engaged with the Minister for Transport on this issue. I know it is currently operated on a PSO contract funded by the Exchequer which provides two daily return services. The Minister is continuing to monitor the operation and performance of the service in line with the terms of the existing PSO contract. However, on foot of the Deputy mentioning this I will ask the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, to come back to him directly.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:36+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-05