Derek McDowell (Labour)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 24, line 44, after "offered", to insert "to appropriate international standards".

This amendment deals with the section that sets out the various issues which the regulator may take into account in setting the landing charges at Dublin Airport. It is regrettable we did not have a greater opportunity to discuss this section on Committee Stage because it has serious implications for the way in which the regulator is obliged to go about his or her business in the future. The essence of the business so far, in the first two or three years of the regulation system, has been for the regulator simply to look at the assets of the company and decide what sort of return on these is reasonable in the circumstances. The Minister would be aware that under section 22 a whole range of additional features may now be considered in setting charges, including, for example, Government policy. The inevitable result of this will be that landing charges will possibly increase by a substantial amount and probably relatively soon.

The amendment deals with paragraph (e) on page 24 of the Bill, which deals with the level of service to be provided at Dublin Airport and which the regulator is to take into account when setting the charges the airport may make. It is important that, rather than providing that services are merely "offered", the provision specifies that the services at Dublin, the country's primary airport, should be maintained to the best international standards, that the regulator should take that into account and allow charges, as appropriate, to ensure services are maintained accordingly.