Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Geoghegan and congratulate Mr. Cullinane on his new role. It is very good news.

If the demand for passports in our offices is any indication of a return to health, I think it could happen relatively soon. I am probably being a bit glib there. There is no doubt that the aviation industry has taken a huge hit. Mr. Geoghegan referenced in his statement how vulnerable it is and also the peaks and troughs of the economy. We have never seen that as visibly as we have over the last 18 months.

When is the DAA expecting a decision on the north runway and the two conditions on planning? I know it is a statutory process and Mr. Geoghegan may not have visibility on it. I am just interested to see if he has a view or an expectation.

Whenever recovery happens, and we would be confident that it will happen, and given that Dublin Airport is a very successful airport overall when things are going well and we do not have global pandemics or ash clouds to deal with, the north runway is going to bring in millions more passengers every year. That is the reason for it. We still do not have a light rail system to the airport and we desperately need it. We needed it without the north runway and we will desperately need it with the north runway. What is the DAA's strategy of engagement with the Government and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, with regard to MetroLink?

I know the DAA supports it and needs it, but the DAA is one of the big beasts along with DCU and the hospital group. A town the size of Swords does not act in a uniform manner on it, but should be seen as one, given the population size. What is the strategy for engagement on MetroLink?

How can an airport be carbon neutral? How has the airport become carbon neutral when there is still not a carbon-friendly way of getting to or from the airport if one wants to travel? I imagine the number of people who cycle to the airport for travel is negligible, as is the number who walk. The smell of aviation fumes gets into one's nostrils as soon as one enters the general area. There does not seem to be any retrofitting done of the major buildings that is visible to the eye. I am asking this not to be glib, but aviation is in the crosshairs of climate action. The industry will have to be seen to be making huge changes. What are those changes? What do they look like? Mr. Geoghegan mentioned Dublin Airport is now the first carbon neutral airport but what has been done to achieve that? What are the offsets? I mean this in the most serious way, because I would like to be able to pass on with confidence that the airport in my constituency is leading the charge on reducing carbon emissions and being genuinely carbon neutral. I would like information on that.