Seán Barrett
Question:53 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has recently written to Ryanair rejecting the proposal to build a second terminal at Dublin Airport. [3808/01]
Written Answers. - Dublin Airport.
Jim Higgins
Question:83 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has recently written to a company (details supplied) rejecting the proposal to build a second terminal at Dublin Airport. [3998/01]
I propose to answer Question No. 53 and Question No. 83 together.
I should clarify at the outset that, in recent correspondence between myself or my Department with Ryanair, I did not reject the concept of an independently financed and operated terminal at Dublin Airport to compete with Aer Rianta's terminal facilities.
There are a number of complex considerations involved and my Department has had consultancy advice on more than one occasion in recent years on the matter. In general, the thrust of that advice was against the concept of an independently owned terminal operating in competition with Aer Rianta.
I believe that if this concept were to be endorsed by this or any future Government, it would call for an open and transparent process in which proposals would be invited from any interested parties and assessed strictly on their merits.