Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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545. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the expert advice he has sought and received in regard to the likely impact of a new runway at Dublin airport on Ireland’s achievement of the Paris Agreement temperature goals, and on the achievement of the national transition object enshrined in the Act. [14849/17]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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546. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will issue a direction to the Dublin Airport Authority to report to him urgently on the implications of continued growth of traffic at the airport, through the building of an additional runway and otherwise, for the furtherance of the national transition objective and the achievement of the Paris Agreement temperature goals; and if he will issue a direction to the authority that any and all works relating to the new runway should be suspended pending a full Government review of this issue. [14850/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 545 and 546 together.

Ireland faces a significant challenge to meet its international greenhouse gas reduction commitments in line with the Paris Agreement and the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. Transport will, of course, play a significant role on the national mitigation effort. My Department is working closely with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE) and the Department of Agriculture to prepare the draft National Mitigation Plan which is now available for extensive before being submitted to Government for final approval later this year. While aviation emissions are not part of the Paris Agreement, in September 2016 the 39th International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly reached a historic agreement on a global scheme to offset and reduce emissions from international aviation. Ireland, along with the other 43 states of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) made a commitment to take part in the scheme from its first phase from 2021. Ireland is also committed to pursuing a number measures specifically for aviation under the Action Plan for Aviation Emissions Reduction 2015-2019.

Regarding Dublin Airport, I understand that daa manages and reduces its own direct emissions in line with its obligations under the various National and EU energy efficiency and carbon regulations. As reported in the 2016 Annual Report on Public Sector Energy Efficiency Performance published by SEAI, daa is already well on track to meet the public sector target of 33% energy efficiency improvement by 2020. 

daa also actively participates in the voluntary ACI Europe Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme and has consistently achieved reductions in carbon emissions since entering the programme in 2009. daa also operates its combustion plant as permitted under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for stationary sources. I am satisfied that daa takes its national and international commitments regarding climate change seriously.

daa holds statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin Airport. In line with this responsibility, it must ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to facilitate the development of the airport and that there is sufficient capacity to meet existing and future demand. The Deputy will be fully aware of the vital importance of air connectivity to Ireland as an island economy and therefore the development of the much needed additional runway capacity at Dublin is of huge importance to Ireland.  

I have welcomed daa's decision to develop this critical piece of airport infrastructure, which will ensure Ireland's International connectivity into the future and is in line with the National Aviation Policy published in 2015.