Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for being here. I am sorry I missed the opening statement but I was in the Dáil Chamber. We have heard a lot in recent times about the expansion of, and vision for, Dublin Airport. I want to focus on recent expansion and the DAA's approach to and delivery of it. I refer specifically to the north runway. I am the Sinn Féin spokesperson on transport but I am also a Deputy for the Meath East constituency, which verges on the airport. Lots of people obviously depend on and work in the airport. Our guests will be aware of the real frustration of communities when they woke up to the noise of aircraft that they were not expecting - and reasonably not expecting. A lot of the time when we have these conversations people ask what those who live beside an airport expect but I have spoken to many people in St. Margaret's, the north County Dublin area and the east Meath area who had done due diligence on this. They had looked at the planning application, checked flight paths and understood that they would not be affected but now find themselves absolutely affected. We raised this with the DAA and received an acknowledgement in relation to it. We were told that new Standard Instrument Departure, SID, routes will come into effect from 23 February next. I ask the witnesses to confirm that this means new flight paths will operate from 23 February. The communities are asking me what this means, what those flight paths will look like, how they will be affected, why they do not know yet and why they have not been engaged with. They are also asking what assessments of buildings have taken place. I raise this on the basis of the fact that homes and buildings were insulated that are not currently affected by the flight paths but other homes and buildings, including school buildings, have not been insulated and are affected by the flight paths. It seems like an unmerciful cock up, to be honest. I ask our guests to outline what is happening on 23 February, what households, businesses and schools will be affected and how they are going to be engaged with.