Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 27 Nov 2001

Vol. 545 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - State Airports.

Ms Clune:

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me to raise this issue. I have raised the future of Cork airport many times over the past four years. My interest is to ensure that the proposed extension of the airport will proceed. I had thought this had been sorted out and that plans were in place to accommodate the 2.2 million passengers projected to be travelling through the airport by 2005. The airport can currently handle one million passengers. It accommodated 1.8 million last year and it has reached and clearly exceeded its capacity. Matters are difficult for the staff and passengers, particularly at weekends.

Most people would acknowledge that it has suffered from underinvestment and neglect. I am not being parochial, this is a very serious issue not alone for the future development of Cork but for the whole region. It is important that we recognise the value of the airport to the region. It is important for tourism but also in terms of attracting investment. It is an international airport and is a very attractive selling point to investors who wish to come in and establish industry in the Cork area. It is important that we underpin its long-term viability. I first saw plans for this three years ago but nothing came of them. I have raised the matter with the Minister for Public Enterprise on several occasions, as have other Members. Last September was the 40th anniversary of the airport and Mr. Noel Hanlon, the chief executive of the board, came to Cork and confirmed that the plan, as outlined, would go ahead. Those plans included a terminal extension, multi-storey car park and air-bridges to facilitate passengers. Planning permission is to be sought for the development.

I raise this issue because I was alarmed last week, as were many of my colleagues in the Cork area, to hear Aer Rianta state that the interim report of the interdepartmental group requested a terminal facility at Dublin Airport to accommodate low cost airlines. Aer Rianta stated that those proposals could put the proposed investment in Cork Airport at risk. That simply must not happen. I recognise the value of bringing more tourists into the country and I understand it has been a dreadful year for tourism – we all know that. We need more tourists but not at the expense of the future development of Cork Airport. That is an extremely important point. The Minister must recognise that and get a promise from Aer Rianta that any development of Dublin Airport will not affect Cork Airport. We need balanced regional development and more tourism but we must also spread the tourists around. The Cork-Kerry area is very valuable for tourism and it is important when negotiations are begun with Ryanair, Go or any other low cost airline to bring in more tourists that that is recognised.

I thank the Minister of State for replying to this matter and I ask her to pass my comments on to the Minister for Public Enterprise. I know the Minister for Public Enterprise has already said today during Priority Questions that the work will go ahead

I stress the future development of Cork Airport and that Cork Airport should be included in negotiations to bring more tourists into the country. We have heard Dublin and Shannon mentioned but not Cork. It is essential not only to have airport development but that we also have more air routes into the Cork region.

Ms Hanafin:

I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Public Enterprise.

As the Deputy will be aware, proposals in relation to the development of the State airports, including Cork Airport, are a matter for Aer Rianta which has statutory responsibility to manage, operate and develop the airports and to provide such facilities and services as it considers necessary for aircraft and passengers. As the Minister for Public Enterprise pointed out earlier today in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 124, Aer Rianta is committed to a major expansion programme at Cork Airport amounting to £86 million of new capital investment in infrastructure and facilities. The main features of Aer Rianta's investment programme at Cork Airport are a 25,000 square metre terminal building with associated air-bridge and hold baggage screening facilities. A multi-storey car park for 600 cars will also form part of the project. This major plan for Cork will bring the capacity of the airport up to 2.5 million passengers in 2003 and will facilitate further expansion thereafter to handle growth up to 5 million passengers per annum in the medium to long-term.

Cork Airport has seen a dramatic growth in passenger traffic in recent years, rising by 50% since 1996 to about 1.7 million passengers last year. The success in Cork Airport of driving passenger growth has continued this year with results for the first nine months showing an increase of approximately 5% over the same period last year. Obviously the success which Cork Airport has enjoyed in recent years has created new pressures on the airport's infrastructure and there is evidence of congestion building up in the system which Aer Rianta' s major development plan will address.

The company informs me that its plans in relation to these major investments in Cork Airport are proceeding as planned. The Minister understands from Aer Rianta that Cork County Council has decided to grant planning permission for its development programme at Cork Airport. Subject to any appeals to An Bord Pleanala of the local authority's planning permission, Aer Rianta expects to initiate a detailed tendering process with work to commence as early as possible after completion of this process. As of now, the estimated time scale for starting the works is during spring of next year. Obviously if the planning permission granted by Cork County Council is appealed to An Bord Pleanala, there will inevitably be a delay in this time scale, possibly up to several months or even longer.

As the House is aware, following the dramatic downturn in the global aviation sector as a result of the terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September, the Minister requested Aer Rianta to consider initiatives to sustain and grow traffic at the three State airports. Aer Rianta responded positively to her request by offering a range of new incentives, commencing on 1 October 2001, to airlines which launch new routes into Dublin, Shannon and Cork Airports. The company improved its incentive schemes at both at Cork and Shannon by increasing the period for zero airport charges for new routes from three to four years. Aer Rianta also extended this scheme to Dublin Airport where there will be no airport charges levied on airlines for new routes for a period of three years. In addition, Aer Rianta will provide marketing support for route development promotional activities.

The Minister welcomes these initiatives on the part of Aer Rianta. They are intended to help reduce the impact of the current global aviation downturn on traffic at State airports, including Cork Airport, and to boost the Irish aviation and tourism sectors in the months and years ahead.

The Minister is satisfied that Aer Rianta is actively progressing its development plans to meet the growing demands at Cork Airport. The management and staff at Cork Airport are to be complimented on their hard work which has contributed so much to the prosperity of Cork and the surrounding region.