Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is from last year, from around 27 million to approximately 32 million. If the same level of growth happened - which would not even be the same percentage growth because the figure is bigger and it will be a smaller percentage - we would be looking at 37 million next year. We would be looking at nearly 40 million next year. At the moment, we are talking about the planning process to get to 40 million being agreed, if everything went well by the end of 2025. One could be talking about building for 40 million when one is almost, if things did not change, at 40 million already. Is there not a need to be looking at 50 million or 60 million? I am not trying to promote Aer Lingus' ambitions or Ryanair's ambitions; I am just asking the question. When the M50 was built, it was not built to the size it needed to be and it had to be retrofitted afterwards.

I wonder about the level of ambition. This is not any kind of climate change denial but we are talking about the population increasing. Everybody acknowledges it will. If the economy goes okay, people travel and want to travel. We are an island. We have said all of that. We are the transport committee looking at aviation. Yes, it would be great if some of the traffic went out of Cork and Shannon, and equally Kerry, Knock, Donegal and so on, and even Waterford if it gets up and going with regard to scheduled or chartered flights.

I am concerned that Dublin Airport will almost be turning away business as soon as it gets the permission for 40 million, assuming that it does. It will be a bit like Berlin or somewhere, where the day the airport opens, it is full, and looking then to go to 60 million. Do we not need to be looking at additions to either Dublin Airport's campus or indeed the western campus? When the former Minister, Shane Ross, was there, he commissioned the Oxford Economics report about a third terminal. Has Mr. Jacobs seen that report? Is he aware of that report and what is in it? Did it recommend a third terminal or not? I know Mr. Jacobs has ambitions for the tunnel underneath and equally the western side of the campus for general aviation. However, I am a bit concerned that all of this work is focused towards 40 million. If there was no cap, Dublin Airport could be at 40 million next year.