Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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74. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 10 of 2 November 2016, if he will provide an update on the inquiries he had committed to undertake. [38672/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I refer to the Deputy's Parliamentary Question No 10 of 2 November, in which the Deputy contended that Dublin is the least regulated airport from a group of 17 similarly sized European airports in relation to noise abatement measures.

Deputy Daly subsequently provided a comparative table to my Department.  Given the differing geographical and environmental circumstances of each airport, comparisons based on size may be misleading as there are a number of factors to be taken into account in considering a noise problem or setting noise abatement procedures.  Some airport vicinities benefit from good land-use planning in terms of noise mitigation, others do not. Some have departure/approach routes over hugely populated areas and city areas – the air routes to and from Dublin Airport go some way to avoiding dense residential areas.

In any event my primary objective now is to take the opportunity, provided under Regulation 598 of 2014, to ensure that Ireland has a robust regulatory regime in place to deal with any harmful effects of aircraft noise relevant to the circumstances at Dublin Airport.  Following completion of the transposition of Regulation 598/14, for the first time there will be a designated Competent Authority with appropriate expertise to take responsibility for airport noise.  I believe this will be the best outcome to achieving aircraft noise management.