Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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2. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on further expansion of Dublin Airport, such as the lifting of the passenger cap and the growth in flights by private jets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53114/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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In recent weeks, there has been a clamour to lift the passenger cap at Dublin Airport to enable further untrammelled growth. That clamour is coming from the DAA and the airlines, including Mr. Michael O'Leary of Ryanair, who has said that the DAA should just ignore the cap. The Taoiseach, of course, has backed them up. Does the Minister support Fine Gael and Ryanair, which want to lift the cap, or his Green Party colleagues, like Mr. Ciar��n Cuffe, MEP, who has rightly questioned the wisdom of doing this during the climate crisis?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his question. I will give him a different-----

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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I am disappointed.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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There are other parties in government.

Increasing the capacity of Dublin Airport is in line with national aviation policy, which recognises the strategic importance of that airport in meeting national social and economic policy goals and includes a specific objective of developing it as a hub airport with the necessary capacity to connect key existing and emerging global markets. While the importance of the airport to Ireland’s island economy is recognised, it is important to the Government in ensuring the sustainable development of Dublin Airport that we balance the objectives of the national aviation policy, the needs of business and tourism interests and the legitimate rights of local residents.

The DAA has statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin Airport. It is the DAA’s responsibility to engage with the relevant planning authorities on all planning matters, including the lifting of the cap and the development of new infrastructure required to support increased connectivity. The 32 million passenger cap currently in place at Dublin Airport is a condition attached to planning permission granted by An Bord Pleanála for Terminal 2. I am aware the DAA intends to submit a planning application to the relevant planning authority in the coming weeks to allow it to grow beyond 32 million passengers per year to 40 million. The application will also seek permission for all associated infrastructure required to support this increase in passengers, including the construction of new aircraft piers and stands.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Act 2019 provides a wholly independent aircraft noise regulation process in accordance with EU law and established the aircraft noise competent authority, ANCA, as the independent noise regulator. The Act also provides that all future development is subject to assessment and mitigation in respect of the impact of associated aircraft movements. This provides a safeguard against any award of planning permission until such time as the proposal has been fully assessed in respect of noise impacts.

The Deputy will be aware the CEO of the DAA has confirmed that, until planning permission to grow beyond 32 million passengers is granted, it will continue to manage passenger capacity through the terminals at Dublin Airport to ensure this planning condition is not breached.

I will set out further context in my next contribution.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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The Minister of State referred to “the sustainable development” of the airline sector. Does he accept that, if the number of passengers is increased from 32 million to 40 million per year, there will be a significant increase in emissions? It is that simple. I believe it was the CEO of the DAA whom I heard on the radio trying to claim that, by increasing the number of passengers, the DAA would be able to invest in electric buses and so forth at the airport and thereby reduce emissions even though the lion’s share of emissions is clearly caused by the actual flights. I do not see it as being compatible with the Government’s commitment to a 51% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 and the commitments that will be made over the next couple of weeks at COP28 to envisage expanding the number of flights at the airport.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Dublin Airport is a key driver of growth in our economy and the international gateway for trade, inward investment and tourism. In addition, and as the Deputy will be aware, census 2022 showed that Ireland's population had increased by 8% between 2016 and 2022 and by 31% since 2002. While alternatives to air travel, such as rail, can provide essential connectivity for many of our European neighbours, we do not have similar options as an island nation and air transport will, therefore, remain essential for our economy and our people.

Look at the economic importance of our airport. According to the recent InterVISTAS study, it contributes to the employment of 116,000 people and a total of €9.6 billion in gross value added, which is the equivalent of 2.3% of GDP.

We want to ensure Dublin Airport grows in a sustainable way. We are establishing a sustainable aviation fuel task force so that, at wider policy level, we can ensure aviation in Ireland can grow sustainably and that we have energy alternatives. The task force will work with a range of stakeholders to ensure we exceed our European obligations in the context of the opportunities presented by sustainable aviation fuel.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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Until we have some technology, which remains very far away and may never arrive, sustainable growth of the airline sector is an oxymoron. Flying is the most carbon-intensive method of travel, and that is not even to mention private jets, which are even more carbon intensive, given all that weight taking off, fuelled by fossil fuels, for just a few passengers. Flying is the most unsustainable way to travel, yet the Government believes we can expand it sustainably. We cannot. This is a choice. We expand aviation or we seriously try to achieve the climate targets. The latter means saying we should not be expanding our airports and passenger numbers and should instead be investing in ferries, rail and so on and limiting – I would say “banning” – the use of private jets. I do not see how an expansion is compatible with what the Government has signed up to in terms of cuts in the transport sector.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The increase in the capacity of Dublin Airport is in line with our national aviation policy, which recognises the strategic importance of the airport in meeting national social and economic policy goals and includes a specific objective of developing it as a hub airport with the necessary capacity to connect key existing and emerging global markets. We are an island economy and have business, tourism and trade interests. Along with this, many people in our communities value the importance of connectivity with European and other markets, and it is important they are not forgotten in this conversation.

As Dublin Airport develops, we want to ensure it meets its climate commitments by reducing emissions. There are strong commitments from the airport as regards sustainability. In the wider aviation sector, the use of sustainable aviation fuel is developing in many economies. We are establishing a sustainable aviation fuel task force so that we can plan to scale up the use of such fuels in the years to come and make aviation sustainable while meeting the needs of our citizens, businesses and trade as an island nation.