Darragh O’Brien has told a leading business group that he hoped legislation could end the row over the limit of 32 million passengers a year at Dublin Airport.
The Minister for Transport had said last month that he had sought advice from Attorney General Rossa Fanning, the Government’s chief legal officer, on a solution to a dispute that has prompted court challenges from airlines.
Speaking to business group Dublin Chamber on Tuesday, the minister said he hoped legislation could end the row while respecting the independence of the planning process.
An Bord Pleanála imposed the limit on the country’s biggest airport in 2007 as condition of allowing it to add a second terminal. The move was meant to allay fears over traffic jams on the roads to and from the gateway, which have since been upgraded.
Airport operator, state company DAA, has asked local planning authority, Fingal County Council, for permission to increase the cap to 36 million and 40 million in separate applications.
Mr O’Brien told the chamber on Tuesday that he was continuing to engage with Mr Fanning on the issue.
The Coalition said it was committed to ending the row, but also pledged to consult “all stakeholders”.
The minister’s predecessor, Eamon Ryan, had argued that the Government could not intervene directly as it had to respect the independence of the planning process.
A legal challenge to the cap by airlines including Aer Lingus and Ryanair prompted the High Court in effect to suspend the cap’s implementation while it sought clarification from the European courts on key issues that the carriers raised. However, the planning condition remains in place.
Mr O’Brien, speaking at Dublin Chamber’s “Meet the Minister” session, also welcomed news that the DAA planned to invest €200 million in Cork Airport to boost capacity there to five million.
