Officials at the Department of Transport have been criticised for not informing the Minister that they had received the business case for Waterford Airport.
Despite having received the business case on December 13th, the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan had not looked at it as of last week.
Waterford Green Party TD Marc O'Cathasaigh addressed the issue on Deise Today.
He says it was a disappointing sequence of events.
"It was an error on his part", said Deputy O'Cathasaigh. "His department had the business case since the 13th of December. I think it was an error more on the part of officials. I was in contact with some of the officials within his department within minutes of what Minister Ryan said in the Dáil."
"It was a frank exchange of views let's say - I made my feelings known because it's entirely unacceptable that a Minister wouldn't know that a business case for something as substantial as Waterford Airport had been received by his department."
He believes the situation will only strengthen the argument of those who believe that Waterford is being unfairly treated when it comes to capital funding.
"I had been checking in on a monthly or more often basis with the department and with Minister Ryan's special advisor, have you received a business case? And then when I heard the business case was submitted on the 13th of December, well I said at least that's done", he continued.
"So I'm doubly annoyed that his officials didn't provide him with the information that he needed. I'm also annoyed that we've just, I suppose, provided gold to the mill of people whose entire political narrative is about Waterford getting shafted. They are making hay with this."
Minister Ryan had yet to view the business case, although he had signed off on a letter to acknowledge it had been received.
"He did misinform the Dáil on that occasion. He, as people know, went back to Matt Shanahan and I think within the hour just confirmed that what he said was factually wrong."
"I'm disappointed to learn it [that he had signed the letter], to be quite honest. I certainly don't think there was any deliberate attempt from Minister Ryan to give factually incorrect information."
Despite the confusion, Deputy O'Cathasaigh says it's important that the process now moves along quickly.
"I'm looking for this process to complete so that we get a full assessment so the Minister of Transport can take that assessment and present it to the Minister of Public Expenditure and we can get a decision for the people of Waterford from there."
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