Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are two issues here, both connected. The first is the old runway at Dublin Airport. Residents within the contours of the old runway are concerned that increased flights, emissions and traffic will compound the problems they already experience. As Deputy Broughan said, they feel hard done by that the original runway was not subject to the same planning conditions or environmental impact study requirements.

They are worried that the mitigation measures that will be available to those coming within the contours of the new runway may be superior to the protection that they get or do not get, as the case may be.

There is a second issue which is of critical importance, and that is the new runway itself. We must register that this application is being made now almost ten years after the permission was given in a completely different type of world that we live in. Even then, with lesser criteria on noise and environmental protection than we have now, the condition applied was that the DAA should not loosen up on its restrictions on night flights. Anybody who went to the briefing last week will be aware that the DAA is explicit in its intention to break that condition that was applied years ago when conditions were less stringent than they are now and that is completely unacceptable to the local communities in the area.

There is a significant issue that the current proposal is to insulate homes that would experience noise levels of 63 dB or above, but night noise levels of 40 dB to 55 dB are known to have adverse health effects according to the World Health Organization, WHO. It is a little annoying that the WHO changed its recommendation on night noise maximums in 2009, two years after the planning permission was granted at a level of 63 dB. We cannot have that. With the current knowledge, we cannot ignore the health and safety impacts on residents in that community. What can the Minister do to reassure us that all of those matters will be considered?

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