Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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903. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the nature of the review he is commissioning into the new runway at Dublin Airport; and the steps he has taken to ensure the daa recognises the enormous losses being experienced by residents in the area and takes appropriate steps to minimise the negative impact and provide effective compensation. [27011/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to clarify the position in relation to the proposed review.

My Department's National Aviation Policy, published in 2015, outlined a commitment to commission a high-level strategic capacity review of State airports in 2018.  With Irish airports now experiencing a return to growth following several years of decline and Dublin Airport, in particular, experiencing exceptional growth at three times the EU average, I have decided to bring forward the review and get it underway now.

This review is about planning for the long-term.  Specifically, it is envisaged that the review will consider the development of the three State airports to 2050, with the identification and prioritisation of new infrastructure development including modifications, if any, to the existing airport infrastructure.  The review will include looking at options for the development of new terminal capacity at Dublin Airport – Terminal 3.

There is no intention that there will be an economic or financial review of the North Runway project at Dublin Airport. That project has already commenced, as announced by daa on 6 April 2016, and needs to be completed at the earliest opportunity in 2020.   The daa has started work on addressing the planning permission conditions, some of which include noise mitigation measures such as the voluntary insulation and house buyout schemes which will be available to residents whose houses are most impacted.  The daa has also established a community liaison group and is holding regular information sessions in order to keep local communities and other stakeholders informed of progress on the runway.  In addition, it has held a public consultation process about the scope of an Environmental Impact Statement to be undertaken in relation to the operating restrictions foreseen in the planning conditions which it wishes to have reviewed.

On 22 September I published a policy statement about the new arrangements that I intend to put in place in relation to determining what operating restrictions are appropriate at Dubln Airport. These arrangements will ensure that the concerns of residents in the area are given due consideration.