Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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315. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether it is appropriate that the views and findings of the IAA should be deemed permissible to be considered by the new competent authority in view of the fact that a clear potential conflict of interest in its assuming of that role has now been accepted and, therefore, information as part of that process could be undermined if forwarded to the new authority. [44551/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The conflict of interest referred to by the Deputy arose from the most recent legal opinion received in relation to the interpretation of European case law as it pertains to “functional separation” within an organisation.  Another public body is now to be nominated as the Competent Authority for the purpose of EU Regulation 598/2014 and therefore the conflict of interest issue referred to by the Deputy is no longer pertinent.

Regulation 598/2014 requires that the IAA, in its role as Ireland’s air navigation service provider, is consulted by the Competent Authority as part of the broader noise management consultation process with all relevant stakeholders when assessing noise at airports and when implementing the “Balanced Approach” to aircraft noise management.