A €2 million airstrip for the Connemara island of Inishbofin has been sanctioned by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív.
Planning permission has already been approved for the airstrip, and Galway County Council is expected to acquire the land by compulsory acquisition order, the Minister's Department has confirmed.
The move clears the way for development of a matching airstrip on the mainland at Clifden which has been promoted by a group of local businessmen.
Mr Ó Cuív, who addressed a European Small Islands Network seminar on Inis Oirr yesterday, has favoured development of air links to the offshore islands.
As reported this week by The Irish Times, an unpublished report before the Minister's Department has recommended that three new airstrips be built at Clifden, Inishbofin and on Tory island, Co Donegal.
The unpublished report was commissioned by the former Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, and was undertaken by the air transport group at Cranfield University's school of engineering in Britain.
In its recommendations, dated October 2001, it put the estimated cost of the new airstrips at €8.13 million. It called for improvements for the four existing airstrips serving the Aran islands, and said that a fortnightly winter helicopter service should be provided for the Mayo islands of Clare and Inishturk.
The report advised that the Government should impose public service obligations (PSOs) on the proposed new air services, through three separate PSO tenders, and it estimated that the total running costs for the existing and proposed new airstrips would be €647,566.
This was based on an estimated cost of €88,000 for each of the island facilities, and €101,000 for mainland facilities.
The Aran islands are the only islands to enjoy a regular air link, while a State-subsidised helicopter service is provided for Tory island.