Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a certain degree of sympathy for the officials. The captain of the ship has moved the goal posts a number of times; a great deal of time has been expended on the IAA and we are now trying to develop a robust authority within a tight timeframe. I respect the fact that the Department is working within a timeframe, but we must get the Bill right. We do not need a complex authority or a parallel process. Mr. Gallagher should revisit these matters before the Bill is published. It is cumbersome and overly bureaucratic and will not be of benefit to the residents who have fears about noise regulation or the DAA which needs certainty in determining how the airport is to develop and grow. A key component is the noise abatement objective, but even in head 6 there is no clear timeframe. It is meant to happen "as soon as practicable after the commencement day". One would have thought it would be the starting point of the process and that a clear timeframe would be set out in order that the process could be kept on track, that residents with concerns could feed into it and be aware of the timeframe and that the DAA could develop and grow its business. The wording "As soon as practicable" is vague and not good enough.