Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Taoiseach was asked what is the position on the terminal at Dublin Airport. Having listened to him I have no idea what is the answer. He seems to suggest that the present terminal has a capacity of 20 million passengers and since only 17 million passengers use it, there is plenty of space. If that is what he is saying, it is easily known that neither he nor the Tánaiste need to go through the airport. What is the answer to the question? Does the Taoiseach support the Ryanair wing of the Government or will the terminal be built with State funds? If the latter is the case, will the Government do a better job on it than on the many projects listed in last night's "Prime Time" programme, which showed that the waste and incompetence of the Government is like nothing ever seen in the western world. It compared the projects concerned with the experience elsewhere in OECD countries.

It was not possible to find a Minister, not even the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, or the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, who is never shy of going before a camera. Where were they last night? At least in the days when the Minister for Defence, Deputy O'Dea, was available he would have gone out. However, since he became the Rommel of Southill he does not have the time for that kind of thing.

What is the position on the terminal? Is the Taoiseach seriously telling the House that where the first terminal manifestly does not work and the second terminal cannot be agreed, the Government is to build a third terminal? The Government will end up building a terminal for every Progressive Democrats Deputy. What is the position? Has the Government decided who will operate the terminal, who will build it and who will own it? Is it true that a third terminal is in prospect? When will a decision be made? Does Michael O'Leary not at least have a fair point in saying that the Government has now been dithering for three years? While the issue has gone on for approximately six years, for three years the Government has been incapable of making a decision. The Taoiseach has now told the House that the airport has capacity for 20 million and as we have only reached 17 million, there is plenty of space for everyone who can queue into the night. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste are happy that people should need to queue interminably to egress from the country.

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