Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

​I am somewhat confused by the question. There is no review of the second runway. I will answer what I think the Deputy meant by his question. The second runway has been decided on and given the go-ahead quite a long time ago. The review to which he refers is, I suspect, something different. If the Deputy will forgive me I will answer the question I think he wished to ask. He is confusing the second runway with all sorts of other capacity reviews and third terminals and so on but I will explain it to him anyway. I will address the capacity review which I think is what he means. The second runway is a given and will not be reviewed.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, has statutory responsibility to manage, operate and develop Dublin Airport. In April 2016, the DAA announced plans to proceed with a second parallel runway, the north runway project, with the intention of having the runway operational by the end of 2020. I have welcomed the DAA's decision to develop this critical piece of airport infrastructure which will ensure Ireland's international connectivity into the future.

The national aviation policy, published in 2015, included a commitment to commission a high-level strategic capacity review of State airports in 2018. With Irish airports now experiencing a return to growth following several years of decline and Dublin Airport, in particular, experiencing exceptional growth, at three times the EU average, I have decided to bring forward the review and get it under way now. While my Department has yet to commence the procurement process for independent consultants to undertake this work, I would hope that the review will be completed in summer 2017.

This review involves planning for the long term. It will consider the development of Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports to 2050, with the identification and prioritisation of new infrastructure development, including modifications, if any, to the existing airport infrastructure. The review will also consider options for the development of new terminal capacity at Dublin Airport, whether State or independent.

There is no intention that there will be an economic or financial review of the north runway project at Dublin Airport. That project has already commenced, as announced by the DAA in April, and now needs to be completed at the earliest opportunity in 2020.

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