IFA county chairs have called on the government to immediately fund the expansion of Waterford Airport.

John Heffernan (Waterford), Brendan Hickey (Kilkenny), Pat Carroll (South Tipperary), Michael Purcell (Carlow) and Tom Doyle (Wexford) said the development is critical to the region’s agri-food sector and rural economy.

The project includes financial safeguards such as: €12m cap on government funding; €15m in private investment required first; and a full public procurement process to ensure transparency.

The IFA chairs argue the state’s reluctance to provide €12m in funding reflects a broader failure to deliver supports for regional development.