Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have been in correspondence with the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, on capacity issues. Michael O'Leary, when he was before the committee, indicated he has major concerns about the authority's capacity to deal with the Christmas peak period, which starts tomorrow, 15 December, and continues until 10 January. Mr. O'Leary's concerns relate to security checking and whether the numbers of staff the DAA has on board are sufficient. When representatives of the DAA attended the committee earlier in the year, they said they would have 702 staff in place by the end of June and up to 800 beyond that. We now find there are approximately 600 staff in place. Do the witnesses have concerns about the capacity of Dublin Airport and the DAA to deal with the numbers of outbound passengers? Are they satisfied the airport has the capacity to deal with difficult weather, including frosty conditions, if it arises again over the Christmas period?