Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 459: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in view of the controversy generated by the massive sizes of Irish red safety areas, on his recent visit to Singapore he examined such airport safety issues with particular regard to whether similar two-dimensional ground safety areas exist at Changi Airport that handled over 32 million passengers in 2005 and has two parallel runways each of which is 4,000 m long; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6577/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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On my recent visit to Singapore I visited Changi Airport. However, the question of red safety areas at Changi Airport was not on the agenda for the programme of my visit to the airport and, accordingly, this issue was not discussed.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 460: To ask the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 359 of 7 February 2006 and in regard to his recent comments on a programme (details supplied) that the law is the law and that anybody who breaks the law breaks the law; his views on whether his Department and Aer Rianta in particular displayed utter contempt for the planning laws arising from the commercial operation of the unauthorised car parks in question where several thousand cars were regularly present over several summer periods in the 1990s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6578/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As previously stated, I understand from the Dublin Airport Authority that the use of the area in question for the provision of car parking facilities was an operational decision required to alleviate serious congestion at the airport during peak travel periods. I understand that it was a temporary, emergency measure to cater for overflows from the main car parks during the peak summer season. 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. I understand that the only alternative to this short-term expedient would have been for cars to park on the public roads, with the attendant safety implications.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 461: To ask the Minister for Transport the various flood attenuation measures his Department undertook or oversaw in order to eliminate or make provision for the potentially damaging effects of the associated large volumes of surface water run-off on both the local environment and individual properties along the banks of the Wad stream in view of the various substantial infrastructural developments, inclusive of massive paved areas, that have taken place at Dublin Airport prior to 1 January 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6579/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The matter referred to by the Deputy falls within the day-to-day responsibilities of the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA. However, I understand from the DAA that the surface water run-off from the SR Technics hangar and associated apron pavement and car parks discharges into the Wad stream. On-site attenuation works were constructed as part of these developments whereby the run-off is restricted during storm events and the excess surface water is stored in an adjacent flood plain. Planning permission has been received for a further scheme and design work has commenced with a view to early implementation of the works