RTE Pat Kenny Today
Thursday 17 May 2007
Pat Kenny interview with Pat Rabbitte T.D.
Matt Harley of Portmarnock Community Association questions Pat Rabbitte

Pat Kenny: We wanted to take another call before we conclude this. Matt.
Good morning.

Matt Harley: Good morning

PK: What's your question?

MH: My question to Pat is: I represent Portmarnock Community Association and we're opposed to the unsustainable expansion at Dublin Airport. Not a lot of people know that they plan to expand from the current 20 million passengers a year to 60 millon a year, so you can imagine the consequences.

PK: You're in the Portmarnock area?

MH: Yes, that's right

PK: Your question?

MH: My question is, if Pat agrees with Enda Kenny that we need a second Dublin airport and that Dublin Airport should not become another Heathrow.

PK: OK. Call a halt at Dublin after its present phase of development and build a second airport. Is that your question?

MH: I wouldn't say "halt" but certainly there should be some sort of control of the expansion rate.

PK: A second Dublin Airport rather than make it into a Heathrow?

Pat Rabbitte: Well I met with the UPROAR people in Portmarnock on this issue, and I think I understand their concerns and what I committed to at the meeting and what they asked me to commit to, having regard to the fact that they say there was never a cost benefit analysis done of the proposed second runway, I committed to having such an analysis done and until I would get that analysis I wouldn't go further than that.

PK: And that's where you stand at the moment. .