Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I feel there is a breakdown in communication between the Minister and the Dublin Airport Authority. He keeps saying it is up to the authority to provide a terminal, which is true, but it is not up to it to provide it on its own lands. That is a where there is a difficulty between the Minister and the Dublin Airport Authority. When the chairman of that authority appeared before a committee he stated clearly that if he were asked to provide a terminal, his responsibility would be to maximise the value of the airport's lands. Therefore, he could only present the airport's lands as the site for the terminal. However, he went on to say that if he wanted the use the optimum lands, the site would not necessarily be the airport's lands. That is the nub of the issue. It is an issue of the site having adequate capacity. I realise that the regulator will not give approval for an increase in landing charges beyond what is required at present, but at least we must have a terminal which we can improve in the future.

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