Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 January 2019
228. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the original expected cost of the second runway at Dublin Airport; the estimated cost of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2234/19]
View answerAs the deputy is aware, daa holds statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin Airport, including the delivery of the North Runway project.
Work on the North Runway Project is underway, with preliminary works under the first phase of construction, including preparation of the site, realignment/building of new roads, fencing and landscaping completed in late 2017.
Following a competitive tender process, a contract has been awarded to a joint venture comprising Irish firm Roadbridge and Spanish infrastructure company FCC Construcción (FCC) for phase 2 (construction of runway). Work will commence shortly and the runway is expected to be operational in 2021. The cost of the runway had been estimated to be approximately €320m (in 2016 prices).
Once operational, the runway will provide much needed capacity to enhance connectivity e.g. 31% gain by 2034, underpinning Dublin’s position as a leading European airport, a key European gateway to North America and an even greater driver of sustainable economic growth. In the short term, daa estimates that the project will support over 500 construction jobs and support a further 31,000 jobs over the next two decades, contributing €2.2 billion to GDP.
