Question:
43 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her views on reports that Aer Rianta has breached safety regulations by locating car parks in red zones at Dublin Airport. [3796/01]
Written Answers. - Airport Safety Regulations.
I am informed by Aer Rianta that it does not have car parks located in the red zones at Dublin Airport.
The essential purpose of the so-called red zones at airports is to control the erection of buildings within those zones which by their height may interfere with the safe take-off or landing of aircraft. The red zones are delineated by the Irish Aviation Authority on the basis of standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO. The Irish Aviation Authority decides by reference to the red zones whether it wishes to object to any particular development proposal in the vicinity of an airport being considered by the relevant planning authority.
My Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment and Local Government, has recently commissioned consultants, Environmental Resources Management Ireland Limited, to make recommendations for public safety zones in the vicinity of Dublin Airport. The consultants have been asked to outline the areas within which development may need to be restricted on public safety grounds and to make recommendations about the appropriate types of development within those areas. The consultants held an information day for the public on Tuesday, 6 February at the Skylon Hotel.
The intention is that these public safety zones, which may differ in extent from the so-called red zones, will be incorporated by the Fingal planning authority into its land use plans. In due course, the intention also is that such public safety zones will be developed for use by the other local plan ning authorities in whose areas airports are operating.