Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

The point is encapsulated in what the Minister stated. He acknowledged, as we all do, that there were international players and it does not make sense that they failed the test they were put through. I am not saying there was anything but a bone fide assessment of that. It does not make sense that people who run multiple international airports right around the world did not pass an assessment. None of them passed it. That does not make sense when they are already doing the job elsewhere. I am not suggesting there was anything mischievous or wrong in the assessment or the tests themselves.

It does not make sense that none of these guys could get through. We do not know the prices they quoted. We do not know whether or not these major international companies would have been cheaper than the DAA. That is the crux of the issue, that after all of this process there is no competition and we do not know why these major international companies fell at a particular fence. As I understand it, although I do not have full knowledge of this, it was not on their ability to run an airport, their financial structure or their organisational capacity that they did not pass. It does not make sense.

I would be concerned at the present situation. Notwithstanding the regulator, how can one benchmark a company that is a State monopoly? Against what is the regulator benchmarking the DAA, except the operation of these private companies in other international airports? It is a mess and the problem is there is an inadequate number of other airlines who would use it for international travel and they are not committed to going into it as a result.

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