Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

Amendment No. 15 relates to sections 7(8) and 8(17), which provide that the cost of the restructuring will be paid by Aer Rianta or the Dublin Airport authority unless otherwise paid by the Minister. The effect of this amendment would be to render all costs payable by the Exchequer. The Minister for Finance and I are in full agreement that the Exchequer will not pay substantial sums in connection with the restructuring. However, minor costs such as those associated with the establishment of the Cork and Shannon airport authorities prior to their appointed day could be paid by the Exchequer, which is a standard provision in the Bill. The Exchequer will not pay all costs as envisaged in the amendment as that would be inappropriate and unnecessary. The pressure to keep the costs down will come from the airport authorities and it is appropriate that they include those costs in their budgets.