Mr. Basil Geoghegan:

We will look at it as an unregulated income opportunity. With regard to the conditions on the north runway, the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority, ANCA, which is the noise regulator and the more modern European way of regulating what happens around an airport, will publish its decisions soon. I do not know exactly when, but it will be soon. We expect that will focus us, not on the number of flights, but on the noise of the flights. That means Dublin Airport will be an exciting place for carriers who are using new technology. New technology is quieter, such as the A320neo and 737 MAX, used by Ryanair and Aer Lingus. They are also lower carbon aircraft and that will drive that. We expect there will be an appeal. It could be us appealing it if the decision is wrong or others appealing it and it will go to An Bord Pleanála. We have a concern about whether An Bord Pleanála is ready for that appeal. We think the appeal is coming and we would like it to be ready and not have to staff up and take longer to make a decision. That being said, we will work with whatever is the decision.

It is not so much about millions more passengers. It will facilitate our growth for quite a long period of time and make the airport safer because there was real congestion at the airport early in the morning pre-Covid. Under the great and watchful eye of the Irish Aviation Authority, aeroplanes do what is called shooting the gap with one taking off and one cross-runway. It is more dangerous than two people being on runways which are kilometres apart. We welcome the runway. It would also allow us to do maintenance on other runways in an easier fashion. When it comes to access to the airport, the positive piece is we are the biggest bus depot in Ireland. We have got over our disappointment in MetroLink being delayed. We continue to make our views known to any part of Government that this is very important infrastructure.

This leads me to the Deputy's question on carbon neutrality. We did not make up the rules. The rules are made up in a way that focuses on the airport as opposed to the activities third parties are carrying out at the airport. Of course, when one takes into account aeroplanes landing and taking off and people coming back and forth, one is at a completely different proposition. While we are happy to have achieved carbon neutrality, and that may have been through using low emission vehicles, solar plants, reducing our energy requirements and the kind of normal things one does in that regard, we want to push on into being a sustainable airport.

People need to fly, especially if they are on an island, but we have to make sure it can be done in the most sustainable fashion. We will not cover it here, but that is sustainable aircraft fuel for now and then it is how we facilitate electric aircraft. What do we do with the grid if we need to use electric aircraft? When we reach the 2040s and beyond, it is a question of how we use hydrogen as a fuel. There is significant investment in that and some experimental things also have to happen. We have a stake in Düsseldorf Airport which is partnered with Lilium, a German electric jet aircraft manufacturer, which currently has a four seater flying. It will have a larger aircraft flying. That is to work with Cologne and Düsseldorf to bring people to the airport from outlying vertiports in a better fashion.

It is exciting and interesting. It will take money to invest in this and not everyone will be happy initially because people will have to bear the costs involved. I hope I have answered the Deputy's questions.