Councillor told to ‘change the record’ over repeated criticism of public money being spent on City of Derry Airport

A local councillor has been told to ‘change the record’ over his criticism of public money being used to support City of Derry Airport.

Paul Gallagher, an independent councillor on Derry City and Strabane District Council, has regularly criticised the level of subsidy being provided to the airport by the council.

The latest figures made public show that the council is paying around £2m a year to support the airport.

Colr Gallagher brought the matter up again at a meeting of the council’s Assurance, Audit and Risk committee in the Guildhall on Thursday.

He was speaking during a discussion about the council’s Corporate Risk Register.

The Corporate Risk Register identifies key risks which may prevent the achievement of the council’s ‘strategic aims and objectives’.

Among the issues identified as a ‘high’ or ‘critical’risk for the council was the accessing of funding from the Northern Ireland Assembly to help with the costs of running the local airport, and the need to secure new routes for the airport.

City of Derry Airport recently received a boost with the announcement of a new Derry to London route which will be operated by BMI Regional airline with the support of a subsidy from the government.

The route, which starts next month, will replace the one axed earlier this year by Ryanair.

Speaking at Thursday’s meeting, Colr Gallagher said the latest risk report again highlighted the problems that the council faced with the airport.

“At some stage this council has to seriously look at what they are doing about the airport,” he said.

He accused council colleagues of allowing the concerns raised to ‘go over their heads’.

However, SDLP councilor Martin Reilly described Colr Gallagher’s comments as ‘nonsense’.

“It is not helpful to take every opportunity to downplay the airport,”he said.

“It is wrong to say that there has been no discussion on the airport as he (Colr Gallagher) has spoken about it many times.”

Another SDLP councilor Gus Hastings also criticized Colr Gallagher’s comments, claiming that he had made similar comments on several occasions in recent months.

“Maybe he should change the record,” said Colr Hastings.