Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy that rail connectivity in particular will be a critical issue for the sustainable development of airports. A rail connection to Shannon Airport, as part of a wider investment in the Limerick-Shannon region, the reopening of the Shannon-Foynes line and the building of new stations in the likes of Moyross and elsewhere, would not just benefit the airport but also the industrial estate, which is very significant, beside it and the town of Shannon itself and the surrounding area. That is a very valid and important project that we will and should pursue. Similarly in Dublin Airport, the difficulties, as very publicly discussed, around the cap on numbers, are primarily related to an analysis by An Bord Pleanála that the transport links to the airport are the real constraint, which is why the cap was put in place in the first place. In that regard, it is critical we build the metro to provide a quality service, not just to the airport but to Swords, the surrounding areas and to institutions across this city. I do not believe that building a rail link to the airport at the same time is merited because that would run into constraints on the Connolly Station to Drogheda line-----

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