Airport authority DAA said it “strongly welcomes” the announcement by transport minister Darragh O’Brien of legislation to remove the Dublin Airport passenger cap.
The legislation will give the minister power to revoke or amend the 32m passenger cap, which has proved a source of division and controversy. “I will now engage with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport to progress pre-legislative scrutiny and advance the formal drafting of the Bill,” said Mr O’Brien, after bringing a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday to seek approval for the new legislation.
Without the cap, passenger demand has been forecast to reach 39.6m by 2030 and 55m by 2055.
The 32m passenger cap was a planning condition issued in 2007 as part of the permission granted for the construction of Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport, amid concerns about the impact of increased emissions, noise, and health concerns if the cap is increased. But airlines and businesses say the 32m cap has been highlighted as a block on connectivity to Ireland and on the growth of the economy.
DAA said it “strongly welcomes the decisive action being taken by Government to resolve the cap issue once and for all. Together with daa’s €2bn plan to future-proof Dublin Airport’s infrastructure, the move to remove the outdated cap artificially restricting growth at Dublin Airport is good news for Ireland,” a spokesperson said. “As a small island nation, global connectivity is crucial to our economic prosperity and to sustain jobs and investment across the country. Standing still as our population grows and other cities and countries compete to draw flights and destinations away from Dublin would be an own goal.”
Mr O’Brien said the new legislation empowers the transport minister to make an order to amend or revoke the 32m passenger cap at Dublin Airport. In advance of making an order, the minister will engage with An Coimisiún Pleanála who will carry out any assessments required under EU law. “This approach will facilitate the sustainable development of Dublin Airport by ensuring compliance with applicable EU law, while balancing the rights of local residents with the objectives of Ireland’s National Aviation Policy and the needs of business and tourism.”
Mr O’Brien said the proposed changes were the first concrete step in delivering on the commitment set out in the Programme for Government. “There’s three principles that are enshrined in the legislation, and one is the power to amend the existing cap, the power to revoke a cap, but also, very importantly, looking into the future, to include any acquisition of a cap into the future based on any future application,” he said.
“I do intend to do pre-legislative scrutiny and get the committee to look at it, but I would ask that be done on an expedited basis.”
He said that national infrastructure as “critical” as Dublin Airport should not be overseen by a local authority and they would look to deem the airport as critical infrastructure.
Asked if environmental concerns had gone out the window, enterprise minister Peter Burke said “absolutely not”. “If you look at aviation, technology is moving fast, but it still has a journey to go,” Mr Burke said. “We’re an island economy, we’re not going to essentially push the airport into the abyss and have no more growth for our economy, no more growth for the tourism sector.
“So I think as an island economy, that’s very clear, air connectivity is pivotal to our success story as a country.”
DAA said there is significant unmet demand for connectivity between Ireland and South America, India, and other fast-growing destinations from passengers and businesses which could not be cultivated with the easing of the cap. “Economic research shows the value of exports with the well-connected countries is over five times that of trade with poorly connected countries. An end to the uncertainty that discouraged airlines from launching new routes connecting Dublin to the world is a vital step to protect jobs and tourism. It is also a positive development for the travelling public, who continue to rate their experience travelling through Dublin Airport highly.
“DAA continues to work with the planning authorities and other stakeholders to progress its broader €2bn infrastructure plan, which will upgrade and expand Dublin Airport’s capacity and facilities and ensure the airport can continue to cater for increases in population and demand.”
DAA said it is committed to minimising the impact of its operations on surrounding communities, noting it has invested over €23m on home buyouts and insulating homes and schools.
Additional reporting by PA
