Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I understand from the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, that the company will use slot co-ordination and operational planning to reduce congestion at Dublin Airport during the 2007 high season. The Commission for Aviation Regulation announced its decision on 12 February last to designate Dublin Airport as a co-ordinated airport for the summer 2007 season and the DAA is confident that this will help reduce congestion during peak hours. Under this process, an independent co-ordinator will allocate take-off and landing slots at the airport, up to but not exceeding the agreed operating capacity limits. In common with other co-ordinated airports, airlines will have no discretion and must accede to the slots allocated by the independent co-ordinator.

In addition, the company has informed me of a number of capacity enhancement projects that are planned for the 2007 summer season. These include the opening of a new check-in area — area 14 — to provide an additional 25 check-in desks, while the arrivals roadway is being altered to facilitate additional passenger access to this area; additional security points at the security search area to increase the processing capability; additional customer service staff will be provided; and a new coach park has been built providing direct access to the arrivals and departures areas by way of a travelator.

In addition, pier D is currently under construction and it is hoped to have this completed by the end of this year. This will provide a net additional ten aircraft parking stands at the airport. Planning permission is also being sought for a new extension to terminal 1. This extension is scheduled to be completed in autumn 2008 but will be delivered on a phased basis, with the first element due for use in spring 2008. The 7,750 sq. m extension will be located at the north-western corner of terminal 1 and will expand the existing terminal at the departures, arrivals and mezzanine levels.

For more long-term capacity enhancements, the DAA has embarked under its capital investment programme on the development of terminal 2 and the associated pier facilities to be constructed close to the existing terminal. Fingal County Council granted planning permission for the project in October 2006 and this is now under appeal to An Bord Pleanála. I am assured that the DAA is working to the Government deadline to have the terminal operational by 2009. Finally, the DAA is at the planning stages for the construction of a second parallel runway which will provide for significant additional capacity at the airport.

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