Written Answers. - State Airports.
Alan Shatter
Question:
20
Mr. Shatter
asked the
Minister for Public Enterprise
when it is expected the second terminal will be constructed at Dublin Airport; if a decision has been taken on the management of the terminal; the total estimated cost of the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10560/02]
Derek McDowell
Question:
21
Mr. McDowell
asked the
Minister for Public Enterprise
if the new low cost terminal at Dublin Airport will be built in time; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10515/02]
Austin Deasy
Question:
34
Mr. Deasy
asked the
Minister for Public Enterprise
her proposals to meet the chief executive of Ryanair to resolve the apparent serious public differences of opinion between them over airport facilities.
[10631/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
77
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Public Enterprise
if she is satisfied regarding the adequacy of Dublin Airport to meet through passenger requirements and at the same time maintain adequate safety standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10850/02]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 20, 21, 34 and 77 together.
Following consideration by the Government last month of the report by Professor Rigas Doganis on aviation-tourism issues for the Department of the Taoiseach, I asked Aer Rianta to proceed, at the earliest possible date, with the provision of a rapid turnaround facility for aircraft at Dublin Airport, having particular regard to the planning permission already secured by the company for the proposed Pier D. Such a facility is to take full account of all carriers operating at the lower fares end of the market and the aim is to have the facility operational in time for the 2003 tourist season.
Consultations are under way between Aer Rianta, the airlines and the relevant regulatory agencies to ensure the earliest possible provision of this new facility to appropriate standards, including security and immigration requirements.
Having regard to these latter requirements in particular, it is clear the original Pier D specification will need some modification. All parties are discussing ways of minimising any delay in having the facility operational, but I cannot be more specific at this point.
I have no plans to meet the chief executive of Ryanair. Senior management of Ryanair, along with other airlines and interested parties, are participating fully in advancing this issue in compliance with the recent Government decision on the matters.
The question of further terminal capacity at Dublin Airport is kept under constant review by Aer Rianta which has statutory responsibility to manage, operate and develop the State airports and to provide such facilities and services as it considers necessary for aircraft and passengers.
The recent completion of the major extension to the terminal building at Dublin Airport has provided sufficient capacity to properly and safely handle up to 20 million passengers per annum compared to a throughput of 14.3 million passengers in 2001. Dublin Airport has, therefore, sufficient main terminal capacity to cater for growth for some years ahead. The additional pier to which I have referred above is designed to give greater turnaround flexibility to airlines as distinct from providing additional passenger terminal capacity.
The concept of a second, independent terminal at Dublin Airport to compete with Aer Rianta's terminal facilities has been raised a number of occasions in recent times. As the Deputy is aware, I have stated on a number of previous occasions that I have not adopted any particular ideological position in relation to that concept. There are a number of complex considerations for and against this concept on which my Department has had advice on more than one occasion in recent years. Generally speaking, that advice did not confirm the value of a competing second terminal as a viable, proven concept.
The Deputy will also be aware that my predecessor as Minister, Deputy Alan Dukes, while not ruling out the concept of separate terminal operations within Dublin Airport, decided in May 1997 that the proposal of Huntstown Airpark Limited relating to a private terminal development was not in the interests of the future development of the airport. He was persuaded that, from both an airport planning and economic point of view, the existing terminal complex should be developed to its maximum capacity before a second, remote location terminal is considered.
In the most recent report of Professor Doganis, the latter stated that any suggestion of separating the management of one part of Dublin Airport from the rest is likely to create more problems than it would solve.
