Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Transport the steps he and the Dublin Airport Authority are taking to reduce congestion at Dublin Airport during the 2007 high season. [6668/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The issue raised by the Deputy is a day-to-day operational matter for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), in which I have no statutory function. However, I understand from the DAA that the company will use slot coordination and operational planning to reduce congestion at Dublin Airport during the 2007 high season. The Commission for Aviation Regulation announced its decision on 12 February last to designate Dublin Airport as a coordinated airport for the Summer 2007 season and the DAA are confident that this will help reduce congestion during peak hours. Under this process an independent coordinator will allocate take off and landing slots at the airport, up to but not exceeding the agreed operating capacity limits. In common with other coordinated airports, airlines will have no discretion but to accede to the slots allocated by the independent coordinator.

In addition the company has informed me of a number of capacity enhancement projects that are planned for the 2007 summer season. These include: the opening of a new check-in area (area 14) to provide an additional 25 check-in desks and the arrivals roadway is being altered to facilitate additional passenger access to this area; additional security points at the security search area to increase the processing capability; additional customer service staff will be provided; and a new coach park has been built providing direct access to the arrivals and access to the departures area by way of a travelator.