Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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We appreciate that operational procedures and controls have to be put in place. Planning permission was originally granted in 2007, but ten years later, we are still waiting for by-laws to be put in place. From an operational point of view, throughput passenger capacity in Dublin Airport in June was over 3.1 million, a 7% increase on the number in the same period last year. If we continue to have one runway while experiencing continuous growth, will the DAA have to tell airlines that want to come in or existing carriers that want to increase the number of routes that the airport has reached maximum capacity? Can the Minister or his officials project the date on which that will arise? Will it take four or five years? If Dublin Airport does not have a second runway, when will maximum passenger numbers be reached in the growth period?

Some 14.7 million passengers passed through the airport in the first six months of the year, a phenomenal increase on the number in the same period in 2017. The economy is booming and more people are travelling into and out of Ireland. If the runway project is not progressed according to schedule, when will Dublin Airport reach maximum capacity such that the terminals will not be able to cope with more passengers?