Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise the consequences of the security audit at Dublin Airport last week, the delays passengers are experiencing and the frustration and anger of thousands of people who are being discommoded not because of the importance of security for every passenger but because of the inability to manage numbers effectively at the airport. A person travelling from south County Dublin who must use the M50 at a reasonably busy time and must be in Dublin Airport at least an hour and a half before a flight to Cork takes off, is undertaking what is practically a five hour journey, the same amount of time it would take to travel to America.

Last Thursday, I was in the airport and missed a flight to Cork. That was not of great consequence to the nation but it gave one the experience of going through the corral with 600 other people, some with their shoes off. It is anticipated that 18 million passengers will use the airport this year. The influx and exodus of hundreds of thousands of people will cause utter chaos at the airport. The Taoiseach was to seek a report from the Dublin Airport Authority last week. Has he received that report? Can he give an indication of how it is proposed to improve the efficiency with which the throughput of passengers can be accomplished? Last week the staff were under pressure but there appeared to be at least two unused scanner machines during the period I was approaching the scanner, which was a considerable time.

It is anticipated that 18 million people will use the airport but people will not come to this country if they cannot do business or find it virtually impossible to get through Dublin Airport. What plans do the Government and the Dublin Airport Authority have to deal with this crisis now and prevent early morning flights being delayed, with thousands of passengers discommoded?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister received a preliminary report but the detailed report from the European Union inspectors will not be available for some time. They provided a preliminary oral briefing to the Department of Transport on the outcome of the inspection last Friday but the written report will take a number of weeks. However, the oral report probably deals with most of the important issues.

The Minister for Transport received a report from his officials yesterday and that report incorporates the views of the Dublin Airport Authority on the inspection. It is not the policy to publicise the outcome of inspections and audits and to state exactly what is in the report but there were obviously serious deficiencies in the system. There were a number of breaches, although explosives or detonators were not involved, as some reports suggested. However, knives and other instruments got through, some in people's shoes and some in garments, which is a serious issue.

The Minister for Transport is determined that deficiencies identified will be remedied. His Department has been working with the authority since last week to ensure a consistent application of the required security standards and practices to keep a balance between good security and no excessive delays. The board's sub-committee on security has held a special meeting. It has announced its intention to appoint an internationally recognised consultant to look at the security of the airport to see how best to achieve that balance. Following what happened last week, the staff are taking a tough line on everything. The security committee will meet tomorrow to discuss developments and review arrangements at the airport. The Department of Transport and the Garda will attend that meeting. An early meeting of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee, chaired by the Department of Transport, is also planned. The advisory committee includes representatives of the Garda, the airlines, airports, Departments and a number of other bodies.

The recent delays have resulted from the increased security. The DAA is monitoring passenger movements and controls to minimise this inconvenience. It is liaising with the airlines as more staff on the stands eases delays. Last Sunday, many of the stands were not opened. Passengers have been asked to minimise hand baggage and to turn up earlier. All the existing units are to be manned to move numbers through. The DAA has indicated that it is reviewing the level of resources available to manage the situation. Some 60 additional screeners are being trained, 20 of whom are ready to work. It will take approximately four weeks to get all units operational, but all current units are operational, which was not the case last week.

The Government is committed to ensuring the highest standards of aviation security at our airports. The Department of Transport will follow up on the lessons learned from the inspection last week. It will try to ensure that the maximum number of units are open so that people can be moved through quickly.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach is a great person to read up on matters and he knows all the anecdotes. It would pay him to go to the airport at rush hour and observe what is happening. I am interested to hear that 20 trained screeners will be available in a couple of weeks, but I do not know whether there will be equipment for them to use. With 300 or 400 people going through two corrals, one would feel sorry for them as they drag their luggage and their children with them. Airports such as Brussels, Schiphol, Copenhagen and Rome carry an enormous throughput of passengers and this endless stream of queueing for security checks is rarely seen. That leads me to the inevitable conclusion that the delays here are because the Government has failed to make its decision about a second terminal. In her party conference, the Tánaiste stated that the issue was competition between airports and capacity in airports. Does the Taoiseach share that view?

On several occasions last year, the Taoiseach made it clear that a decision was imminent. Unlike his comments on the news about the sporting organisations, will the Taoiseach tell the nation when his Government expects to make a definitive decision about a second terminal for Dublin Airport?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The present terminal was built to cater for 20 million passengers per annum and the new terminal is scheduled to cater for between 20 million and 30 million passengers. Decisions on that issue are imminent. The 60 additional screeners have equipment and this should speed up the operation. There is also a balance in the security checks undertaken. Last weekend, the screeners were reused so everything was picked up. The consultant is being brought in to find out the standard used in other international airports. The security checks showed up every last thing, thereby causing the delays. That was not the position the previous week so some balance must be sought.

Obviously more people are required and 20 of the additional 60 will be ready this week while the remaining 40 will start work over the coming weeks, before the holiday season. Many of the stands were not open last weekend, which is ridiculous. If all the stands are open, at least people can be moved through with some efficiency. A number of meetings will take place tomorrow to alleviate the problems for the travelling public.

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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There is plenty of room in Knock Airport.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I wish to ask the Taoiseach about the dramatic news at the top of the national broadcast last night, that the Taoiseach supports the Government decision on Landsdowne Road. It only made sense on the basis of the previous day's news, which was that the Taoiseach did not support the Government decision and that he would believe it when he saw it. That follows from the previous day's news, when the Taoiseach welcomed the opening of Croke Park to other sports by the GAA annual congress. That was also an odd position given that four years earlier, the Taoiseach stopped the opening of Croke Park with £50 million of taxpayers' money and actively intervened to prevent the inevitable decision being made at that time. That happened just after he called in the FAI and promised his full support for Eircom Park. Shortly after that, he arranged for the scuttling of Eircom Park. He then backed the knocking down of the research laboratories and other buildings in Abbotstown at a cost of €157 million to the taxpayer. All that has ever been built there is a swimming pool for €70 million, the most expensive terrestrial swimming pool on the globe. Now the roof has blown off it and it is not in operation.

What is the Taoiseach's position on Landsdowne Road? Will he leave the hapless Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism swinging in the wind? On 27 January, the Minister stated, in typically understated prose, that this was a landmark day for Irish sport. He stated that we were bringing our national sporting infrastructure into the 21st century on a much loved site that resonates with history, tradition and some of our greatest successes. Does the Taoiseach support the Minister?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Rabbitte is not correct that rule 42 was voted on previously by the GAA. There was no internal debate or discussion on that issue on the previous occasion. I am glad we are not in the position we were in when Deputy Rabbitte had a say in matters, when we spent €17 million on sports here. At least we can do a few things now.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the GAA's decision. I congratulate Seán Kelly on what was achieved last weekend. Having put more than €100 million into Croke Park to see it being made available when required to assist soccer and rugby, it is a very welcome decision. Last year, the Government decided to provide €190 million for the development of Lansdowne Road. We used to spend £13 million a year on sport when Deputy Rabbitte had any say in it. At the same time, we have agreed to develop Stadium Campus Ireland and campuses for other sporting bodies. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism has a programme in that regard.

We now have Croke Park finished thanks to this Government. Thanks to the GAA delegates——

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Government did everything possible to stop it.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please allow the Taoiseach to continue without interruption.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government gave €110 million of the €260 million.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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It was the taxpayer.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, it was taxpayers' money. Croke Park has now been finished for GAA activities, including camogie and ladies' football as well as hurling and football. Thanks to the GAA, the stadium will now be opened up while Lansdowne Road is under development. The Government has already made a decision to put €190 million of €290 million into that development.

Although the issue has moved on, as I said at the weekend, it is regrettable that we do not and will not have, probably for 30 years, a national stadium with proper facilities. That is why our young athletes go abroad to train. Even the Tipperary hurlers went abroad last week, and rightly so, to use facilities in Portugal. I regret that we will not have such facilities here. We will have two football stadia but we will not have a proper campus related to them, as most other countries have. That is a sorry day.

For 13 years I have been involved in one way or another in arguments about the plan to develop Croke Park. I wish the Lansdowne Road authorities, as well as Deputy Quinn and others who are involved, every success in getting the plan through but it will not be easy.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I join the Taoiseach in congratulating Seán Kelly on his consistent position — not a word one would use in conjunction with the Taoiseach's stance — in securing a situation whereby the GAA authorities can now make a decision about the admission of other sports to Croke Park during the development of Lansdowne Road. I repeat that the decision would now be unnecessary if the Taoiseach had not intervened in 2001 to stop it.

Why is the Taoiseach sending out signals of a lack of confidence that the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road will ever take place? It is most unlikely that the Taoiseach did that by accident. Given his record of undermining Eircom Park and contriving to stop the GAA in a bid to further his vanity project at Abbotstown, I would not rule out the Taoiseach being successful in scuttling Lansdowne Road as well. He said earlier that he could now "do a few things", to use his words, unlike when there was another Government in office. The few things in question concerned the building of a national stadium, yet we still do not have one. The GAA has produced a splendid facility at Croke Park but the stadium the Taoiseach set out to achieve is still a mirage. It has not materialised. Now the commitment exists to do it by redeveloping Lansdowne Road, the Taoiseach seems to be pouring cold water on it. Why does the Taoiseach say he has doubts about the feasibility of Lansdowne Road? Surely it is not because, he said, it is in a built-up area.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy's time has concluded.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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If it is because it is in a built-up area, where does that leave Croke Park? Surely Croke Park is in a built-up area. Does the Taoiseach support the decision announced by the Minister about Lansdowne Road?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Rule 42 was not the issue of the debate in 2001 and Deputy Rabbitte is incorrect in that respect. Eircom Park was rejected by the FAI. It was not considered. It voted democratically on that issue, as the GAA did last week, and voted against Eircom Park. As a result of the Government supporting it with taxpayers' money to the tune of more than €100 million, Croke Park has been redeveloped. I remember well the criticisms I received as a result of that investment and the second tranche as well.

The Government has made a decision to invest €190 million into Lansdowne Road, which is more than the State's investment in Croke Park, but it is necessary to make it viable. Those decisions have been made. The point I made earlier was that having been involved for 13 years in the planning process in a built-up area — that was the only thing that Deputy Rabbitte got right — I know it is hugely difficult. I spent 13 years between the GAA and residents', community, activists' and business groups trying to get Croke Park redeveloped. It is not an easy process with planning and other considerations. I hope that will happen more quickly in Lansdowne Road because we have already given the money for it. It is necessary to do it. Obviously, the ability to be able to use Croke Park will lower the pressure but ultimately there will be other difficulties. The GAA has already referred to other difficulties, including the playing surface at Croke Park following matches, and therefore the redeveloped Lansdowne Road stadium is required as quickly as possible.

While we are not where I would like us to have been with a proper national stadium and proper facilities, as many other countries have, at least I am glad to see that we will fairly quickly end up with two good stadiums. Unfortunately, they are unrelated to the other activities that I hope will be in Abbotstown in future.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Every Deputy has received representations from many parents facing the high cost of child care or the lack of such care. Many parents face Hobson's choice — unwilling to work owing to the cost of child care, yet having to work to pay a mortgage. As this issue was debated at the recent Progressive Democrats conference, is the programme for Government to be distilled down to one aspect of child care? The programme spoke of implementing a children's strategy, a national study of children, strengthening parental leave schemes and implementing a child care strategy by the end of 2002. It now seems, however, that the big idea is the provision of out of hours child care programmes based in schools. While that is one of the many aspects in the programme for Government, does the Taoiseach regard it as proper child rearing and in the best interests of children for them to be kept at school from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.? Many school buildings are dilapidated and substandard. I visited a number of schools in Donabate, some of which are not even in receipt of basic classroom resources, never mind child care facilities.

What is the Government's view following the Progressive Democrats conference? Is it to run with the idea of permanent school detention, as some children might see it? Alternatively, will the Government first put in place the proper school structures and discuss the matter with teachers' and parents' organisations so that some agreement can be reached? Is it not the case that this idea will not run because the infrastructure is not in place in schools and has not been agreed upon?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Tomorrow, many of these issues will be discussed at the Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, under the chairmanship of Deputy Ardagh. The committee is having a full day's hearing on many of these issues and Deputies will no doubt debate them when the committee meets tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

I agree with Deputy Sargent on the concept of children going to school at 7 a.m. and getting out at 7 p.m. That would not be easy for any child. There has long been an argument that spare capacity in schools, particularly classrooms, should be used. I would not object to them as an appropriate environment for child care facilities. The Minister for Education and Science tells me discussions on these issues are ongoing.

Following discussions, the Government decided some years ago that we should put the resources into child benefit. The benefit increased substantially from less than €0.5 billion per year to more than €2 billion, but did not solve all the problems. We also increased the number of child care places to 40,000. I know that is not enough and that people incur substantial costs in this regard. Many other proposals for improvement are now coming forward.

The Government has not closed its mind to looking at the suggestions made under the equal opportunities child care programme and many will be aired at the committee meeting tomorrow. Some weeks ago in this House I said some of these suggestions must be considered but we cannot forget that we decided that the best way forward was to put money into child benefit. Because of that decision, everyone, not only those parents at work, received equal treatment. Nevertheless, we are not ignoring the substantial burden placed on parents who are at work and must pay a lot of money for child care and seek out places for their children. That is why we are talking of using schools and community halls and of opening places which would not be too expensive. Insurance and other issues are being examined as part of this debate.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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The Taoiseach must ask himself who will rear the nation's children. Are they to be increasingly institutionalised or will the Government come seriously to the aid of parents who choose to raise their children themselves? Will the aid be in the form of properly funded parental leave? Will the refundable tax credit plan run effectively so that parents will have the wherewithal to rear their own children in future? Where does the Government stand with regard to its commitments when the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform can send letters to voluntary and community based child care services in receipt of grants under the equal opportunities child care programme to inform them their funding is to be withdrawn from the end of August this year?

Is the Taoiseach reneging on his commitments in Government regarding children? What initiatives will the Government take to facilitate parents who want to rear their own children? Regardless of what the Taoiseach says, they cannot afford to do so, nor can they afford child care. The Government is giving them a Hobson's choice and needs to take action.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Regarding Deputy Sargent's first point, it was because the groups who looked at the issue four years ago were unable to reach an agreement on a scheme that the Government decided the best way forward was to put resources into child benefit. That left child care decisions with families. A person who reared a child at home all of the time got increases in benefit at the same level as others. That Government decision was made after the long debate which took place in 1999 and 2000. The benefit was increased from about €38 at the time to €141 currently. It was a substantial increase in the overall benefit from about €0.5 billion to some €2 billion.

Under the equal opportunities programme we have moved from having almost no child care places to a total of 33,000 places.

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Does that relate to the situation after next August?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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No. That is the current figure.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Will the Taoiseach reverse the cutbacks?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Many families still have difficulties because the private schemes are costly. That is why the interdepartmental group is looking to see if there are other ways in which the State can alleviate the burden for those people who opt to work, and pay for private child care. Those discussions are ongoing.