Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to raise the consequences of the security audit at Dublin Airport last week, the delays passengers are experiencing and the frustration and anger of thousands of people who are being discommoded not because of the importance of security for every passenger but because of the inability to manage numbers effectively at the airport. A person travelling from south County Dublin who must use the M50 at a reasonably busy time and must be in Dublin Airport at least an hour and a half before a flight to Cork takes off, is undertaking what is practically a five hour journey, the same amount of time it would take to travel to America.

Last Thursday, I was in the airport and missed a flight to Cork. That was not of great consequence to the nation but it gave one the experience of going through the corral with 600 other people, some with their shoes off. It is anticipated that 18 million passengers will use the airport this year. The influx and exodus of hundreds of thousands of people will cause utter chaos at the airport. The Taoiseach was to seek a report from the Dublin Airport Authority last week. Has he received that report? Can he give an indication of how it is proposed to improve the efficiency with which the throughput of passengers can be accomplished? Last week the staff were under pressure but there appeared to be at least two unused scanner machines during the period I was approaching the scanner, which was a considerable time.

It is anticipated that 18 million people will use the airport but people will not come to this country if they cannot do business or find it virtually impossible to get through Dublin Airport. What plans do the Government and the Dublin Airport Authority have to deal with this crisis now and prevent early morning flights being delayed, with thousands of passengers discommoded?

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