Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 9: To ask the Minister for Transport the steps being taken to deal with the delays caused to passengers at Dublin Airport arising from the introduction of enhanced security measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15551/05]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Transport the main findings of the security audit at Dublin Airport recently undertaken by the European Civil Aviation Conference; his views on the serious security lapses reportedly discovered; the steps which have been taken to deal with such lapses and remove any safety or security risk to passengers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15550/05]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has received a report on security at Dublin Airport, as announced in the wake of recent security breaches at the airport; if this report will be published; the recommendations contained in the report; if he intends fully to implement such recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15503/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 37 and 63 together.

On completion of the recent EU inspection of Dublin Airport, officials from my Department and the Dublin Airport Authority received an oral briefing on the findings of the inspection. I have received a report from my officials on the outcome of that debriefing. In accordance with established procedures and practice, my Department, the European Commission or the Dublin Airport Authority will not make any comment on the specific outcomes of the EU inspection. The European Commission will send a formal report to my Department in due course dealing with all relevant issues. This is a confidential security report and will not be published.

I am determined that any issues identified during the inspection will be remedied. Apart from the immediate remedial actions put in place during the inspection, I have instructed my officials to prepare an action plan in response to the Commission findings. This action plan has been prepared in consultation with the Dublin Airport Authority, airlines and other stakeholders. I expect all relevant authorities will fully engage and co-operate with my Department to ensure there is full and consistent application of the required security measures.

The House will understand that the nature of security precludes detailed discussion of measures. Therefore, I will not disclose the nature or extent of any security measures that have been implemented or the nature of any additional measures that are under consideration. However, I am satisfied that the DAA and airlines responded effectively and immediately to deficiencies identified during the inspection. In this regard, the DAA has appointed an international security firm to review security at Dublin Airport. I welcome the fact that it has done that. The National Civil Aviation Security Committee met last Thursday, 5 May 2005, and was briefed on the audit and the proposed action plan.

On the issue of delays, I have been advised that the DAA is monitoring passenger movement and controls to minimise inconvenience and delays and it is liaising closely with airlines. The authority has advised me that they will maximise the use of existing facilities and will endeavour to manage airport processes effectively to cope with the increasing passenger numbers passing through the terminal. The authority operates 14 X-ray screening points for passenger screening purposes, an increase of three new screening points since the EU inspection. Refurbishment works are under way to accommodate an additional two X-ray screening points and additional X-ray equipment has been ordered.

By June, 120 new staff will have been recruited for screening operations and 40 of these new staff have already been brought into live screening operation. The DAA has also implemented a queue management system for crowd control purposes. Airlines are co-operating by opening check-in desks earlier. I welcome this important measure. Passengers have also been encouraged to minimise the volume of hand baggage presented at the screening points, not to carry sharp objects and to co-operate with the instructions of screeners. The DAA has informed me that the queue times average 15 minutes at peak periods during weekdays and 25 minutes at the busiest holiday traffic period at the weekends. During off-peak periods passenger queue times average not more than five minutes.

I am committed to ensuring the highest standards of aviation security at our airports and I will ensure that the lessons learned from the EU inspection are taken on board. Specifically I will ensure that the security issues are addressed in co-operation with the relevant parties so that there is full confidence in the security arrangements and that those arrangements are managed in such a way as to minimise passenger inconvenience.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Is the Minister aware that about this time last year, reporters from a Sunday newspaper attempted to bring bomb-making equipment through Dublin and Shannon airports? They had no difficulty in doing so and wrote an article about it. Subsequently I asked a question of the Minister's predecessor. Will the current Minister tell the House about the system in his Department to monitor airport security? His predecessor said that he had full confidence in the airport security system and that it was being constantly reviewed by this committee, which is chaired by his Department. The committee assured everyone that there was tight security to the highest standards at Dublin Airport. How did Dublin Airport so spectacularly fail the standards required by this EU committee when last year the Minister's Department assured everyone that everything was under control and that it was perfectly happy with the security standards in Dublin Airport? What role, if any, has that committee played in the Department over the past year? Why was it not aware of what appear to be serious lapses in security, as revealed by the EU committee?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The security is to the highest standard. Some of the airlines said that the security facilities at Dublin Airport are among the best in the world. Clearly on this particular day there were lapses on the part of Dublin Airport and the airlines. As they were identified on the day, they were corrected and further enhancements have taken place.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Is the Minister suggesting that this happened by chance?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Shortall should allow the Minister to reply without interruption. The Chair has been very lenient with the Deputy who took more than the one minute allowed to make her contribution and without the Chair intervening. She should therefore allow the Minister to answer.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The National Civil Aviation Security Committee was constituted in 1974. From people in my Department I know this issue is taken extraordinarily seriously and regular checks take place. There were failures on that day but they were not catastrophic. There were specific issues tested that were not up to standard. I would not defend that and my views have been made well known. The security staff were disappointed in their performance and have looked to correct those issues. Security is an issue in all airports. The Dublin Airport Authority has been asked to manage the entire security operation to the best convenience of passengers. There is substantial recruitment of staff, 40 new people are already working there and extra X-ray areas and machines will facilitate greater efficiency.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I have great admiration for the way the authorities have responded to the lapse that was detected. I am sure many passengers do not feel the same when they are delayed. Additional channels and training have been put in place as quickly as possible. Is congestion and a lack of infrastructure not largely the cause of this lapse? The visible manifestations of this are queuing, under-provision and a lack of infrastructure in the provision of every service at the airport. That affects service providers as well as passengers. How can the Taoiseach be of the view that there is no congestion at Dublin Airport and that capacity poses no problem until 2009? He says he was told by the Dublin Airport Authority that this was the case. Is that in line with the Minister's beliefs?

My understanding is that when people use Dublin Airport as a stopover, they must come out and go through security again. That is not the practice in most airports. Does that add to queues? Is there potential in that for reducing queuing time for people coming through the airport?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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There is no doubt about it. All those factors contribute to the issues at Dublin Airport. Deputy Mitchell, and Deputy Shortall earlier, enunciated what people reporting on these issues do not understand. There are two capacity problems emerging at Dublin Airport. We have not passed them by because clearly they exist. One is airside for airline capacity, and that compounds the internal dynamics of capacity within the airport. The other, which I would not have thought about it this way until someone pointed it out to me but it is interesting, is that the space in Dublin Airport from landside to airside is very narrow. There is a great deal of activity in a small area. I agree with the Taoiseach and the figures indicate that we need extra capacity. We need extra airside capacity by 2007. That is on the record.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It is needed this summer.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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We need the terminal capacity by 2009 or 2010. Not only will that have an impact on a new terminal or the new pier D and contact stands that will be created, it will allow us to reconfigure the operation into a much more cohesive one. Deputy Mitchell raised an important point regarding transiting through Dublin Airport. It will have to be made easier for passengers to transit and this is linked to the creation of a hub. There would have to be good transit facilities for passenger if it were to work. That would be much more achievable in the sort of configurations that are now being explored.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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I am glad to hear the delay has been reduced to 15 to 25 minutes. I was there on May Day weekend and it took me an hour to get through. Has the Minister visited the airport to examine the situation? One of the new security measures suggested is that people take their shoes off. Is there not a health and safety issue in regard to people taking their shoes off? Thousands of people go through the airport, some of whom have verruca and so on. Part of the problem has to do with hand luggage. Why is there not a separate line for those who do not have hand luggage? Is the Minister concerned at the delays? While reduced somewhat, there are still unacceptable delays. There appears to be utter confusion with people trying to board planes and tourists panic-stricken in case they miss their flights. It is an issue that needs to be addressed. My suggestions are sensible and perhaps the Minister will consider them.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has picked up on an issue that colleagues have raised with me during the past week, that is, that there should be at least one access point in the security system for those with no hand luggage. We agree with the Deputy on that point. I do not regard a ten or 15 minute wait as excessive. All Members have had the experience of travelling through airports throughout the world. I have queued at many airports for 40 or 50 minutes. That is the way it is. Certainly heightened security post-11 September 2001 has impacted greatly on ease of access and travel. The matter of shoes is an issue, given the way in which items can be concealed in them and they have to be checked. In regard to health and safety issues, I would expect all those involved are aware of their obligation.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Will the Minister accept that it is not credible to suggest that by chance on the one day when the EU committee happened to be in Dublin airport there was a coincidental lapse in security? Does the Minister accept that the EU committee has shown up a system's failure at Dublin airport? Will he explain why the committee under the aegis of his Department which has explicit responsibility for monitoring security at the airports did not manage to uncover this system's failure and what action he will take in respect of that committee? Surely he will not leave those same people, who failed to detect this problem, in place on that committee? Has he moved to replace the committee?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The key people on the committee hold high public office whether in the Garda or elsewhere, and I am not in a position to remove them from office. They are the best people.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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It is even more serious than that.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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We should be more balanced with regard to the issue on the day. By and large the security system was excellent. A few issues were pointed out. From my reading of the issue, the more serious failures were with the airlines, not within the airport. I say that without fear or favour. There are specific areas in aeroplanes that must be checked every time. Objects were placed in those areas that had to be checked but they were not checked. That is extremely serious. The response from the airlines and the authority has been excellent. I understand from the security personnel involved that regular checks are carried out throughout the airport and to my knowledge nothing untoward has gone wrong. On the particular day in question there was not a huge number of lapses. There were a couple of areas where the system did not work and that was rightly pointed out. I welcome unannounced security checks at Dublin airport.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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What has the committee been doing?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I have spoken to the officials in my Department who were taken aback because they had been carrying out regular checks and did not see these flaws. The flaws have been corrected in a way that will make it virtually impossible for those types of issues to occur again.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Taken aback is hardly an adequate response.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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No, but put in context, by and large all the security issues worked extremely well.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Shortall, the Minister's questions have concluded.