Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 20 October 2021
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport
Chairperson Designate of the DAA: Discussion
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
Yes. It comes back to the national aviation policy. Dublin has continued to grow at a rapid rate and take an increasingly high percentage of the overall traffic. As Deputy Canney put it, we are a small island and it is the missing link. With climate change targets coming and having to be met, this provides an opportunity, under the national aviation policy, for a rising tide to lift all boats. This is the point. I have no doubt that if Dublin Airport had the runways that are at the disposal of Shannon Airport, for example, we would not be building the third runway at Dublin Airport. The DAA would be using that under capacity. It just so happens that it is 150 miles down the road.
It is about making the maximum use of the national assets. Mr. Geoghegan's big thing is that, if there is a change in aviation policy, it must be a working document rather than an aspirational one. Is that a fair comment?
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