Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2018
15. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the action he will take to ensure the necessary resources and expertise are put in place in relation to a decision (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7509/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the Government recently approved my proposal to designate Fingal County Council as the noise regulator for Dublin Airport in order that Ireland fully complies with EU Regulation 598/2014.
The Regulation sets out how Member States should regulate noise at major airports, under a regulatory framework that provides for the measurement, management and on-going monitoring of airport noise.
My obligation as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is to put in place the structures to make sure that Ireland fully complies with the Regulation, which I will be doing by way of primary legislation.
The Government's decision to designate Fingal County Council as the noise regulator follows on from discussions between my Department, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Fingal County Council. Those discussions included consideration of the resource and skills requirements to carry out airport noise regulation, and it is agreed that Fingal will have to receive additional funding and will most likely need to bring in new specialist expertise.
Whilst it will be a matter for Fingal County Council to determine how best it skills up to carry out this new function, I can assure the Deputy that the draft legislation, which I plan to bring to this House later in the year, will include a provision for additional funding for Fingal.
There is no question of Fingal having to carry out this new function from within existing resource levels.
