Vol. 420 No. 1
51 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if she will outline the traffic control facilities at Dublin Airport, and if she has satisfied herself that these facilities fully meet the requirements of Dublin Airport.
The air traffic control facilities at Dublin Airport consist of a modern ATC system utilising state of the art equipment.
The facilities include:—
(1) an Integrated Flight Date Processing System and Radar Data Processing System;
(2) a fully refurbished Primary Radar System and two new Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radars, one at Dublin Airport and the other at Woodcock Hill, near Shannon Airport, which provide radar information to the Radar Data Processing System;
(3) new Radar display equipment in the new ATC Centre and Control Tower;
(4) new Radio Communications equipment, complete with Frequency Control and Distribution System;
(5) three Instrument Landing Systems, Radio Beacons and a modern VHF Omni range (VOR) with distance measuring equipment;
(6) a modern purpose built ATC Centre, including an ATC Training Centre with modern classroom equipment and radar training simulators.
The systems in use comply with the standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Most of these facilities were installed as part of a £30 million re-equipment programme undertaken by my Department over the past five years at Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports.
Plans for further improvements at Dublin Airport include the provision of back up Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radars and a Surface Movement Radar System.
I am very satisfied with the air traffic control equipment and facilities at Dublin Airport which are among the most modern in Europe. I will continue to upgrade these facilities to meet the future needs at Dublin Airport.
