The country’s six regional airports are to benefit from funding of over €9 million under the National Development Plan for capital works.
The Department for Public Enterprise said this compromises the first major round of funding for the regional airports for the period 2002 to 2003.
A further round of financial allocations for the airports is expected to be announced next year following the mid-term review of the NDP.
The airports which will benefit from the funding are Waterford, Kerry, Galway, Donegal, Sligo and Knock.
The primary focus of the allocations is to help improvement works and upgrades in existing facilities and to allow them to function as viable airports.
Galway airport has also applied for a separate grant to add to the €3.9 million that has already been made to it in order to develop its runways.