Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Jacobs has told us the planning application will go in on 15 December. I note the DAA expects it to take a minimum of two years to pass through An Bord Pleanála and, potentially, judicial review. Is the authority trying to outrun the Government in terms of the new national aviation policy? Most of our work as a committee next year will be about looking at national aviation policy. I agree this cap is not sustainable and something has to be done about it. The only course for doing that is through planning, but it looks like the DAA is trying to outpace the Government and any policy the committee looks at. Mr. Jacobs's job, which he is doing well, is to manage the DAA group, but we must look at aviation overall. His description of Dublin Airport as Ireland's airport is a little insulting given we have Cork Airport, of which he is also the head honcho, as well as Shannon, Knock, Donegal and Waterford airports, where there is very little happening. There is a whole network of airports in Ireland.