STILL ZERO ACTION, 7 MONTHS AFTER GOVT PROGRAMME TO SCRAP DUB AIRPORT CAP “AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”

Ryanair, Ireland’s largest airline, today (Tues, 22 July) questioned whether Micheál Martin’s Govt can be trusted to actually deliver promised infrastructure. Ryanair pointed to recent mismanaged infrastructure projects, including;

• over €330,000 wasted on a bicycle shed at Dáil Éireann
• over €1.4m wasted on a security hut at the Dept of Finance
• over €2.24bn (and rising) wasted on a Children’s Hospital, which was originally costed at €800m

Ryanair questions, whether Micheál Martin and his Govt can be trusted to really deliver infrastructure. In one of the few examples where infrastructure has already been built and paid for, namely the 2^nd Runway at Dublin Airport, Micheál Martin’s Govt has repeatedly failed to scrap the 2007 Dublin traffic cap. The Programme for Govt published in January promised to abolish this unlawful traffic cap “as soon as possible”. Yet 7 months later, as the Dáil goes on 3 months holidays, no action has been delivered by either Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien or Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

The Dublin airlines have appealed this illegal cap to the ECJ, which has temporarily suspended the
32m passenger cap. As a result, Dublin Airport will grow over 36m passengers. But last week, Fingal Co. Co. and An Bord Pleanála introduced a second cap at Dublin, limiting the number of night time movements to 35,600 flights p.a, which is close to current volumes. This cap is arbitrary and contradicts An Bord Pleanála’s 2016 approval of the 2nd Runway, which boosted Dublin Airport’s capacity to 60m passengers. Yet Fingal Co.Co and An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly An Bord Pleanála) are now trying to find new ways to restrict growth at Dublin Airport, to pander to a handful of local “nimbies” living around Dublin Airport.

Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, said:

“We welcome today’s Govt announcements on infrastructure. However, we question whether Micheál Martin and his Govt can really deliver infrastructure. When Dublin Airport and its airlines have already built and paid for the 2^nd Runway, we still cannot use it, because our Govt have failed to abolish the illegal 2007 traffic cap. Seven months into the life of this Govt, not alone has the cap not been removed “as soon as possible”, but An Coimisiún Pleanála have last week introduced a second “movements“ cap, which further limits growth at Dublin to its current 36m passengers. Dublin Airport now has not one, but two “mad caps”, while the Government fails to deliver its Programme promise to “scrap the cap”.  

The current Govt was elected with a 20 seat majority and 5 years to the next election. They promised to scrap the cap “as soon as possible”, so they should do so. They cannot be trusted to deliver new infrastructure, if the current Runway infrastructure at Dublin Airport can’t be used to deliver traffic, tourism, and jobs growth. The solution is clear: Abolish these illegal caps at Dublin Airport and accelerate the delivery of low cost infrastructure, rather than wasting money on overpriced bicycle sheds or security huts, or the continuing lamentable failure to deliver an on-time and within budget Children’s Hospital.”