Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response and consideration. I wish Shannon Airport every success under this regime. It is essential that it thrives and comes back to where we all want it to be. I would value the role of the commission. Like the Minister I look forward to what the commission will say on Thursday. I will not press amendments Nos. 3 and 4. I thank the Minister for his comments about output measures for airports which will be dealt with in a later amendment No. 22 proposing a new section 50.

As we get to this stage there needs to be much better protection for the customers and the airports. We went through a decade of low productivity and rampant investment which may, in time, as the Minister said, be worthwhile, but in the meantime the debt runs up. One of the problems in the public finances is that we need new criteria for the assessment of all investment across every Department. Spending Departments become agents for projects which very often seem to outnumber those of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform or the Department of Finance. Investment for short-term stimulus on all sorts of projects without long-term benefits results in an increase in the debt mountain. This is a problem we face with a debt to GDP ratio of well over 100%. Therefore, stricter controls are required on investment.

The kinds of measures proposed in my amendment and to which the Minister referred, are to show whether we have efficient use of existing assets such as terminals and runways. There is significant evidence to show that we have not been good in that regard, that our passenger numbers per square metre of terminal, air traffic movements per runway and passengers per terminal are well below international standards. That gives a feel-good factor in the short term when the terminal is opened and a plaque is unveiled but it piles up debts. We will need lean and hungry airports. Some of the information published shows that passenger numbers per departure gate at Dublin Airport are two thirds of the best performing airports and passengers per square metre of terminal are one third of the best performer, and air traffic movements per runway are one quarter of the best performer. As the Minister said, if we have the lowest cost airlines in Europe, we need to have the lowest cost airports, otherwise airport charges as a percentage of the airline ticket will keep on going up.

I thank the Minister for his consideration. I will not press amendments Nos. 3 and 4.