Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 339: To ask the Minister for Transport if his Department has been requested to fund in any way the proposed development of the new terminal at Dublin Airport; and his response to such a request. [6148/08]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 340: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will outline the detail of his recent Indecon Public Policy Lecture; if he referred to the need to maximise the productivity impact of scarce public sector resources; and his views on whether there are public sector resources at stake in the proposed development at Dublin Airport and that value for money guidelines requiring a full cost benefit analysis for projects costing over €30 million be respected. [6149/08]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 341: To ask the Minister for Transport if he is satisfied that the Dublin Airport Authority has fully exercised its responsibilities to ensure the best use of public resources under DAA management in this case before authorising the use of public funds and allowing construction to proceed. [6150/08]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 342: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in view of the fact that terminal two and the new runway are components of the new National Development Programme, the value for money provisions of chapter 12 of the NDP and the EU guidelines have been respected. [6151/08]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 343: To ask the Minister for Transport if the environmental cost implications of terminal two and the new parallel runway will be fully assessed as promised in the Programme for Government 2007. [6152/08]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 344: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in view of the commitment in the Programme for Government 2007 to carry out a multi-criteria analysis of all transport projects to take environmental factors into account, this has been done in relation to the proposed terminal two. [6153/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 339 to 344, inclusive, together.

The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) operates under a clear commercial mandate and its capital investment programme is funded from its own internal resources. The question of Exchequer funding for the DAA therefore does not arise.

Proposals in relation to the development of Dublin Airport are, in the first instance, a matter for the DAA which has statutory responsibility to manage, operate and develop the airport and to provide such facilities and services as it considers necessary for aircraft and passengers. Accordingly, the issue of cost benefit analysis in relation to proposed expansion projects at Dublin Airport is a matter which falls within the responsibility of the management and board of the DAA.

The DAA, of course, is required to comply with Chapter 10 of the NDP to the extent appropriate to a commercial SSB that will fund its capital expenditure programme from its own resources. Also responsibility for compliance with Department of Finance capital appraisal guidelines rests with the Board of the company.

During the long and detailed planning processes for Terminal Two and the Second Parallel Runway, the DAA and its advisers engaged in extensive consultation with all stakeholders and complied with all planning and environmental analysis requirements.

Finally, I would point that, in line with the Government decision of May 2005 mandating the DAA to build Terminal Two, independent experts have since reported on the specification and cost of Terminal 2. The experts appointed by the Department concluded that the methodology, approach and execution of the planning objectives and considerations for passengers adopted by the DAA accords with best practice. They also found that the estimated cost of the new terminal is within industry norms for this type of project in a European capital city. The verification team report is available on my Department's website. (www.transport.ie)