Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for coming before the committee. They stated that the net debt of DAA has doubled. Does that explain a potential shift in management priorities? I am talking about more aggressive revenue generation. I refer to initiatives such as the forthcoming set-down charges at the airport. DAA has stated that is being done for sustainability reasons but we know there are issues with connections to public transport at the airport. In the case of the soaring parking charges, DAA has stated they are due to a dynamic pricing model even though we know there are 3,500 fewer parking spaces. Our guests have given the impression that is outside of the control of DAA. There are reports that costs to airlines have increased by 88%. Can our guests share their current key strategic priorities? Have those priorities changed in the past year? Where do the customer experience and value for money sit? What about the maximisation of margin? Our engagement today is about consumers. Given that consumers have been let down and are facing inflation and cost-of-living pressures, is DAA going to continue with those additional charges and pressure for consumers?