Naoise Ó Muirí
Question:518. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the position regarding development plans (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39337/26]
View answerTuesday, 26 May 2026
Questions (518)
Written answers
In 2017, Government designated the lands around the Ireland West Airport (IWA) as a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ). The airport is a critical piece of enabling infrastructure for the region, and there is potential to further enhance its role as a driver of economic development in the region.
The SDZ offers a degree of planning certainty to those looking to carry out appropriate development within the designated area. The Planning Scheme for the SDZ sets out an overall set of guiding principles for the area, which serve as a design framework for the land around the airport.
As you may be aware, my Department has also funded a programme manager working to develop a roadmap for the delivery of the IWA SDZ since August 2024. This work has included the identification of specific infrastructure issues that may affect the proposed development of the site in line with the Planning Scheme set out, and explorations of how best to address these issues.
Work on the roadmap for the delivery of the SDZ is overseen by a steering committee, which is chaired by the Chief Executive of Mayo County Council and includes officials of my Department, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, the Western Development Commission, the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, the Atlantic Technological University, and the Ireland West Airport Itself.
The most recent meeting of the Steering Committee took place on 30 April, and the next meeting is scheduled for late July. Work on the roadmap is advancing well and it is anticipated the final document will be delivered in line with its original two-year timeline, in August 2026.