Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have listened carefully to the issues the Senators have raised and I assure them of ongoing communication with the DAA and weekly meetings on this. We are all on the same page in ensuring passengers make their flights on time and that we can move our passengers safely through the airport, especially over this festive period. I assure the Senators that is my priority.

It is worth recalling why and how the disruption occurred over the weekend at Dublin Airport. Following the cold weather across the weekend, temperatures fell to below -5°C in many parts of the country and the average temperature on Monday evening was -2°C. According to Met Éireann, Ireland experienced its lowest temperatures in 12 years on Monday. The adverse conditions impacted our airports throughout the country, which resulted in flight delays and cancellations. Some flights were also diverted where necessary and possible. On Monday, three flights had to be diverted from Cork Airport, as low visibility conditions prevented them from landing. All three planes landed safely in Shannon Airport and returned to Cork when the conditions improved. However, this had a knock-on impact in that it caused significant delays to some outbound services.

The United Kingdom also experienced its coldest weather since 2010. This meant passengers intending to travel to the UK by air this weekend were impacted, not only by the weather here, but by the conditions in the UK. Manchester Airport closed for a time on Friday and Gatwick and Stansted airports closed their runways on Sunday due to the bad weather. Delays and cancellations at these airports carried through to Monday and it is worth noting 70% of the cancellations at Dublin Airport have been related to flights originating from or departing to UK destinations. This reflects the high level of traffic between our jurisdictions.

I am also advised Dublin Airport's ice plan remains in place and runways, taxiways and apron areas are being continuously monitored. An additional airfield-and-apron snow plan was implemented on Saturday night as teams worked through the night to clear deposits in anticipation of further freezing temperatures. These airport workers are commended for their ongoing efforts. It is important, as Senators have done, to acknowledge the hard work of all the staff at the airport for their dedication in helping passengers move safely through the airport. Of course it is not only airport staff who are involved in ensuring the airport remains operational and safe. Airline crew, ground handling staff and other support workers work to keep the airport open in order that flights can depart and land safely. The current weather events have magnified this intricate ecosystem once again. I thank them for the extra effort they are putting in.

The DAA expects the airport will remain busy over the coming weeks with total passenger numbers on a par with the same period in 2019, although some individual airlines may be slightly above or below their respective 2019 levels. I am advised by the DAA that it also remains in continuous contact with the airline partners on the forecasted passenger numbers for the Christmas period. The House should also be aware that while the busiest days of the Christmas season at the airport will see a total of 90,000 passengers, Dublin Airport has been facilitating this level of activity on a regular basis since May. In fact, the airport has handled in excess of 90,000 passengers on more than 40 days this year with more than half of those days occurring towards the end of July.

Security lanes were not mentioned in the debate and I will give the House an update.Detailed hour-by-hour passenger estimates for the airport are examined by the DAA to calculate and plan for the number of security lanes required at any given time at each terminal. The DAA regularly communicates with its airline partners as part of this process to facilitate planning and the allocation of resources, as appropriate.

With regard to the number of security lanes that are open at a given time, Senators will appreciate that it is not efficient, feasible or necessary for Dublin Airport to operate all of its security lanes at all times, especially when there may not be enough passenger traffic to make this essential. The DAA has advised that it plans to open the optimum number of security lanes required to satisfy anticipated demand.

Again, it is worth noting, that since June, almost 17 million passengers have been processed through the airport without any notable security-related challenges. In November, 98% of passengers queued for 30 minutes or less. More recently, in the first week of December, 98% of all passengers queued for 30 minutes or less while virtually all other passengers were processed in under 45 minutes. There is a task force in place, overtime is available and a number of contingency measures are in place. The real evidence is the time it takes passengers to get through security and that is a measurement the Department is certainly watching.

I stress to those who intend to travel that it is important they follow the advice of their airline and the airport and present at the appropriate time for their flight departure.

I assure Senators that I will continue to engage with the DAA's interim CEO and senior management to ensure all necessary preparations are being made by the DAA in order that passengers have a satisfactory and efficient experience passing through the airport over the holiday period. I also assure the House that I will continue to engage with the DAA in the new year with regard to its preparation for the summer of 2023.