AEC Infrastructure Update

A key task for the AEC infrastructure strategy is to identify the factors that will shape the economic, social, political and environmental quality of our region. To achieve this, we need to identify critical relationships between overarching government plans, the current and future economy of the AEC and the environment.

We recognise that infrastructure is an enabler of economic growth and social wellbeing, but that investment in infrastructure must be supported by various non-infrastructure levers to achieve enduring economic growth.

Over the past 18 months, this has translated into building key relationships with national infrastructure and utility providers; facilitating workshops with national policy managers; building a coherent strategy for infrastructural investment in the AEC; engaging cohesively with EU and National public consultations for example Ten-T and WRC.
The vision is that the Infrastructure Group can be a platform to enable a ‘force multiplier’ effect by harnessing a coordinated and shared approach to infrastructural investment.

National Broadband Plan to invest €938m for the AEC counties over the 25 years.

In June, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross announced an initial allocation of over €8.85 million in exchequer grants to the airports of Donegal, Ireland West Airport Knock and Kerry under his department’s Regional Airports Programme. The allocations will go towards capital investment in the areas of safety and security.