Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 844: To ask the Minister for Transport, further to Question No. 322 of 6 December 2005, if the extension of 1,000 ft to Cork Airport runway 17/35 in 1989 was notified to Cork County Council; if his Department formally requested that the Cork county development plan be varied accordingly at that time to implement the necessary revision to the associated red zone; if he is satisfied that such a variation was made to the development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40244/05]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 845: To ask the Minister for Transport if Aer Rianta obtained the approval of his Department for the development of commercial car parks on the grass area beside the Team Aer Lingus building for a number of summer periods prior to 1 January 1998 when such lands were formally transferred to Aer Rianta; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40245/05]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 846: To ask the Minister for Transport, further to Question No. 354 of 30 November 2004, the precise purpose for which the lands in question were compulsorily acquired in 1945; the reason these lands were not utilised for that very purpose by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40246/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 844 to 846, inclusive, together.

I understand that the construction of the runway extension and the consequent amendment of the red — safety — area of runway 17 at Cork Airport was advised to Cork County Council at the time by the then Aer Rianta. The subsequent inclusion of that information in any development plan was a matter for Cork County Council.

With regard to car-parking at Dublin Airport, I understand from the Dublin Airport Authority that the use of the area in question for this purpose was an operational decision required to alleviate serious congestion at the airport during peak travel periods. This was a normal day-to-day operational matter for Aer Rianta for which it was not considered necessary to seek the approval of the Department.

With regard to the purchase of certain lands in 1945 at Shannon Airport, these were compulsorily acquired to cater for the potential expansion of the airport over the following 50 year period. Following the construction of runway 06/24 at Shannon, it became evident that these lands would not be required for airport infrastructure development but could potentially be utilised for other aviation-related activities. However, subsequent to the development of a major public road on these lands to serve the Shannon Aerospace maintenance business, the portion of lands which remained north of this road became isolated from the airfield with no possibility of direct contact with the airfield infrastructure in the foreseeable future. However, the lands south of the road have been retained for aviation related development for the benefit of the airport.