Seán Ryan
Ceist:202 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Transport his position in respect of the proposed second runway at Dublin Airport. [7963/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 10 March 2004
Ceisteanna (135)
Freagraí scríofa
Aer Rianta currently has statutory responsibility to manage, operate and develop the three State airports, including Dublin Airport, and to provide such facilities and services as it considers necessary for aircraft and passengers. The board designate for the new independent Dublin Airport Authority, which I announced earlier this week, will take over this responsibility once the necessary amending legislation is enacted by the Oireachtas.
Aer Rianta informs me that the proposed second parallel runway at Dublin Airport has been in all airport plans since the late 1960s and was first incorporated into the county development plan in 1972. Aer Rianta forecasts that by the year 2020, passenger throughput at Dublin Airport will grow to approximately 30 million passengers per annum compared to 15.9 million passengers in 2003. The company's ongoing programme of capital works to ensure that the airport has adequate capacity to cater for this growth includes the provision of a second parallel runway before the end of this decade.
The proposed new runway will of course be subject to planning permission being obtained from Fingal County Council. That planning process will provide a forum for all interested parties, including local communities, to have their views and any concerns heard and taken into account by the planning authorities. In due course I will also consider this runway proposal from the aviation policy and shareholder perspective.