Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The airport is handling 3.5 million fewer passengers than in 2007. A new terminal was built to handle 15 million passengers. The DAA wants €30 million for a runway and €38 million for seating capacity at terminal 1. The airport needs passengers. The Government helped the DAA by abolishing the travel tax. It looks like the airport authorities have yet again achieved regulatory capture over the Department of the Transport, Tourism and Sport, which at this stage ought to know better, and participate in the national efforts to develop the country as a competitive economy attracting greater numbers of tourists. It is most regressive that the Dublin Airport Authority has reverted to its old ways of sneaking in behind a regulatory body which has a judicial function and that decided against it. I am sorry it did not like the decision but it was made in the wider national interest. Those charges should come down. They went up the last time by more than 40%. A 22% reduction was recommended and it must happen.