Fergus O'Dowd
Question:149 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Transport his views on the proposed new runway at Dublin Airport, announced recently by the Dublin Airport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27000/04]
View answerTuesday, 2 November 2004
Questions (92, 93)
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
Question:152 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Transport his view on proposals for a new 3,110 m runway at Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26950/04]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 152 together.
Proposals in regard to the development of Dublin Airport, including the planning and provision of runway capacity, are in the first instance a matter for the Dublin Airport Authority which has statutory responsibility to manage, operate and develop the airport and to provide such facilities and services as it considers necessary for aircraft and passengers. Dublin Airport will remain the country's main airport serving the needs not just of the travelling public in our capital city and the surrounding counties but also of the country's tourism, business and freight sectors generally. Passenger traffic through Dublin Airport is expected to grow from almost 16 million last year to more than 20 million by the end of this decade and is forecast to increase to 30 million by around 2018. It is also noteworthy that the national spatial strategy has acknowledged that the expansion of the level of air services from Dublin Airport to a wider range of destinations is essential in the interests of underpinning Ireland's future international competitiveness.
The Dublin Airport Authority is currently completing an environmental impact statement, EIS, to accompany its planning application for the new runway to Fingal County Council. I am conscious that some local communities have concerns about the runway project. In this regard, the planning process will provide the appropriate forum for all interested parties, including local communities and residents, to have their views on the proposed new runway heard and taken into account by the planning authorities. As a major capital investment project, the proposed new runway will be the subject of a comprehensive submission from the Dublin Airport Authority to my Department in due course.