RTE Morning Ireland
Monday 8 January 2007
Interview with Enda Kenny TD

Richard Downes: You're talking in the Irish Independent today about a second terminal… a second airport for Dublin not a second terminal that's on the cards, that's going to be built, why build a second international airport in Dublin when all of the investment is going into the current one?

Enda Kenny: Well, what I said was that, given where we are and given the
necessity for ordered planning for the future, we had 21 million passengers moving through Dublin Airport in 2006 up 11% on 2005, 122 airlines serving 160 destinations. Do we want another Heathrow-type development at Dublin Airport?

RD: And do you?

EK: No I don't. Because, if the growth continues at 10%, according the Dublin Airport Authority, the second terminal would be at capacity by the time it becomes operational and all I'm saying is that what I would do in government is carry out a full-scale, thorough and comprehensive analysis on all the options that are open.

RD: Ahh, you're planning an analysis. You're not saying that there will be a second airport.

EK: No I'm not saying that. I gave this interview to the Independent before Christmas and I said that we need to have a comprehensive analysis of the options that are open for a second commercial airport to service the Greater Dublin Region.

RD: OK. So you're not proposing a second airport. You're saying that you would look into it.

EK: I've said I'd carry out detailed and thorough analysis of what's involved here so that in terms of ordered planning and not having a Heathrow-type at Dublin Airport that you look at what is available in terms of the Greater Dublin Region and not being site-specific on that.

RD: Because some people would say, you know, there's a billion, as I understand it, about to be spent on a second terminal, many billions going to be spent on a very high quality railway service going to the airport and here you are talking about setting up a second airport in the middle of nowhere where potentially…, which would take away the vigour of Dublin Airport.

EK: I'm talking about ordered planning for the next 20 years. In 20 years time if you ask some other politician what has happened to Dublin Airport if you build a Heathrow-type development out there, I'm saying now is the time to look at options that are open to proper planning to service the Greater Dublin Region with another commercial airport and I would commission such a report and see what that brings to light.

RD: And your personal view is? Do you think we need one?

EK: I do

RD: So, you personally think that should be the way to go, that there should be a splitting up if you like of the cake in terms of the passenger numbers coming in and out of the capital?

EK: As I've given you the passenger numbers, 21 million for 2006, if it continues at 10% growth, the second terminal,which took ten years for the government to make a decision about, will be at capacity by the time it becomes operational, do you then move on to continue that kind of development on the current site? Would you not be far better to look at options that are available, alternatives that are available to service the Greater Dublin Region in some other location also?