Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The exchanges in the Dáil between the Minister and other political parties, including my party, Sinn Féin, on the handling of the appointment of a noise regulator for Dublin Airport struck me as quite shambolic. It is incredible that the Minister has dithered on such an important issue, particularly to the local community and the airport authorities. Certainty and confidence in the community and in airport managers are crucial elements for the north Dublin communities and for the airport's future development, in terms of support from the local community. They live there and hear the regular, thunderous, nerve-jangling roars of flights taking off and landing, and of the environmental pollution it causes which we know will increase and which will affect not only their well-being but their physical health, in the form of respiratory diseases.The future development of the airport is also co-dependent, more so on the community than on a noise regulator. The Minister needs to bring the local community along with him as well as the DAA. A harmonious tripartite relationship between the local community, the authority and the Minister or a noise regulator who will act in his stead is needed. It needs to be respectful and collaborative. It is this relationship that the Minister has undermined effectively by his inept handling of the appointment of a regulator. I do not know if he realises there are health and well-being issues, which we have discussed, facing this community. There are all the more real as we look towards an uncertain future in terms of our health and the pollution of our planet. I hope this has not being overlooked and has been taken on board.

Sinn Féin and the local community are well informed of what is going on. They are well aware of the health implications of noise and environmental pollution and the importance of noise abatement plans. We proposed two amendments to the Bill, which were accepted, which place the health and well-being of the community to the fore, where they should stay. My experience living on the southside of Dublin of the building of the national children's hospital, which it is perceived will involve another ten years of construction and consequence noise, is that members of communities and I have come to realise that we are not powerless, that we have something to say about the impact on such works on our neighbourhoods and on the areas where we live and work, and that we will be heard loud and clear. The communities of north Dublin realise this and they will exercise their right of participation in our democracy. They will no longer be easily appeased. That applies across the board for any planning, construction or change in significant infrastructure in our country.

At face value, the appointment of a noise regulator, in keeping with the EU regulation, appears to be a straightforward matter. The regulation requires Dublin Airport, now that it is over a certain size, to appoint a noise regulator. The issue was complicated when the Minister failed to appreciate basic ground rules with respect to the expertise required and the remit of a noise regulator. Expertise is essential. That expertise will have to be acquired over time because this is the first time the airport has been directed to appoint such a regulator. We have all experienced learning curves and what will be involved for the noise regulator and what we will have to do will be a learning curve.

Of equal importance is the requirement that the noise regulator will have to be independent and seen to be so. My Sinn Féin colleague, Deputy Imelda Munster, suggested that the Commission of Aviation Regulation was such a body but that was ignored. Other suggestions were made but they were also ignored. Instead the Minister decided that Fingal County Council should be the noise regulator, yet the council has no record in the area of aviation and it is also in receipt of 8% of its annual rates revenue from the airport. I would call that an obvious conflict of interest.

On those two crucial tests, that of independence and expertise, Fingal County Council does not meet the requirements. These comments are in no way a criticism of the council's staff. They have provided and continue to provide an excellent service , often in the face of the difficult challenge of limited resources which restrain what they can do, but they have served the public well in Fingal.

My comments are a criticism of the Minister. I would have expected him to learn a lesson from the mistake made from the first choice for the noise regulator, which was the IAA. This did not work out. Then he casually shifted toward Fingal County Council and now he has decided to stubbornly dig in rather to listen to other voices advising him to appoint an independent noise regulator. This is a serious matter and certainly the people of north Dublin believe it is be so. They will be looking in on this debate this afternoon. They are looking to their elected representatives to support them and their concerns about this issue. They are clear that Sinn Féin is supporting them and we are arguing on their behalf and suggesting and supporting amendments to the Bill that are mindful of the health and well-being of the community. Representations have been made not only to the elected representatives on the northside of Dublin but to Deputy Imelda Munster's office as far away as County Louth. I have extended family and friends and they have a conflict in this respect. It relates to what Senator Reilly said about the members of the community who live in the vicinity of the airport and work in it at all levels ranging from senior to not so senior. That are conflicted but they are determined in respect of the outcome of their deliberations. The issue is not only about jobs but about the lives of those in the community, the rearing of children and children going to school, and people being healthy and continuing to be healthy. People's jobs supports that type of lifestyle but the priority has to be that one's health is one's wealth.

Fianna Fáil has not come out of this debate well. It is supporting the mulish approach of the Minister. Residents are understandably angry at him and want their elected representatives to listen to their opinions and respond to them. They have our support. It is important for Fianna Fáil and others to support the community and convince the Minister to listen to the concerns of the local people, to change his stance and appoint a noise regulator who has the confidence of all those concerned about this important issue.