Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 12 June 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

Impact of Passenger Cap at Dublin Airport on Ryanair's Business and Operations: Ryanair

Mr. Michael O'Leary:

Okay. On aviation policy, I would not change a word of Ireland's aviation policy. I think Ireland's aviation policy is a terrific document. It is just that the Minister for Transport does not pay any attention to it. If we look at the policy, and it is extensive, it is centred around three main aims, including enhancing "Ireland’s connectivity by ensuring safe, secure and competitive access responsive to the needs of business, tourism and consumers". We absolutely sign up to that aim, but you cannot have a passenger cap at your main airport and then say that it is our policy. The second aim is to "foster the growth of aviation enterprise in Ireland to support job creation and position Ireland as a recognised global leader in aviation". How can we be a recognised leader in global aviation if we are sitting there saying, "The airport is full and there is nothing we can do here for four years because that is the way the planning process works"? The third aim is to "maximise the contribution of the aviation sector to Ireland’s economic growth and development". We made a written submission to the Minister for Transport on 7 March, two and a half months ago, to increase traffic to this island by 50% over the next six years, thereby maximising "the contribution of the aviation sector to Ireland’s economic growth and development", and we cannot even get a reply. I mean do we build-----

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