Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I am delighted to have this opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the Progressive Democrats to the needs of consumers in the aviation industry. This debate should leave no one in doubt that the interest of the consumer is our foremost concern. In the past, discourse on aviation policy and infrastructure was dominated by engineering and planning issues. It is really about what is best for the travelling public. We cannot afford to waste any more of the public's time in driving reform in transport, and competition is the way to go. The Progressive Democrats continue to believe that innovation and competition should be fostered and rewarded. Competition is a dirty word for some people who incorrectly associate it with reduced services, job cuts and worsening conditions for workers and consumers.

The State and private forces must play a role in tackling the problems in aviation. Competition, when applied strategically, is the key to improving services and choice for the consumer. This is the goal which sets the Progressive Democrats apart from all other parties in the House.

The decision to break up Aer Rianta has been rewarded with new routes and lower fares for consumers. We have beneficial competition between airlines and, more recently, between airports. We also need beneficial competition within airports. Given that we have competition in the market to and from Dublin Airport, why not have it within it? An independent second terminal at Dublin Airport represents the best method of delivering competition and, as such, the best method of delivering benefits to the consumer. An independent terminal would rule out the involvement of the Dublin Airport Authority and Ryanair. Many expressions of interest were submitted to build a second terminal, including one from Ryanair. The company, like the Dublin Airport Authority, should not be considered because its proposal could well distort competition at the airport.

Proposals for the provision of additional terminal capacity at Dublin Airport are being considered by the Government. The best interests of the consumer must be uppermost in its considerations. New capacity will be required to cater for expected growth in passenger numbers at the airport. The detailed planning and implementation process will address the issue of the location of the next capacity increase and encompass all other relevant operational factors, including traffic management and access.

Public safety and security are of such importance that other issues become almost irrelevant. On Monday, 11 April officials carrying out an EU security audit managed to evade detection during security checks at Dublin Airport. I will cite part of the response issued by the Dublin Airport Authority to this abomination. In its statement it indicated it was "satisfied" that the safety and security of passengers had not been compromised and noted that the airport continued to operate "normally". In the context of my earlier comments, it is evident that the authority should be excluded immediately from operating any second terminal at the airport.

As well as serving to enhance a monopoly, it is obvious the authority needs to reassess how it manages that which is already under its control. If it is failing to adequately deal with current demand, why would anyone expect it to be able to cater for even more customers?

Contrary to the authority's statement that the airport continued to operate normally, passengers faced queues of more than 90 minutes to get through security at one stage over the weekend. Queues of hundreds of people circled the building, staff were forced to close the departure terminal to all but intending passengers for a time and many passengers missed flights as a result of the lengthy security delays. If this equates to normal operations in the eyes of the management of the Dublin Airport Authority, I shudder to think what would be a bad day at the airport.

The travelling public needs to be completely confident that its safety is being provided for to the greatest possible extent and EU regulations introduced to protect it are being complied with. As we know, much of the surveillance at airports is carried out by persons and machines. Those responsible for monitoring machines must be given adequate breaks and have their duties rotated to ensure their health and well-being are protected. This is an important factor in protecting customers of Dublin Airport and one on which I seek reassurances from the Minister.

Current forecasts suggest passenger numbers at Dublin Airport could increase to 22 million, which presents a considerable security task for the Dublin Airport Authority. It is obvious that if a review is instigated, it must specifically set out how the airport intends to address this issue.

I am glad the Minister contacted the Dublin Airport Authority after the recent audit uncovered serious security breaches at the airport. I understand officials met representatives of the authority the following day and were advised as to the measures taken to address security issues.

I return to my original point regarding the primacy of the needs of the travelling public. Security at our airports is paramount and must be taken seriously by Government. The Cabinet is waiting for the conclusion of the current security audit at the airport and will scrutinise its findings. The public must be reassured that the Government will take security seriously.

Aviation is a fast-moving, complex business which makes it a complicated policy area. Some simple facts remain, however, including that competition increases choice and reduces costs for consumers. We should have no part in sustaining or, worse still, creating new restrictive practices. Consumers need choice and enhanced, secure facilities. This should be our focus in the future.