Dublin Airport Authority tries to stop
scrutiny of its plans by the Aviation Regulator

Portmarnock Community Association - UPROAR made a presentation of its economic case against the unsustainable development of Dublin Airport to the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) on 12 April 2007 (1).

During the meeting the regulator told UPROAR that the DAA has demanded the preliminary cost benefit analysis undertaken by consultants for the CAR should be abandoned without delay. This demand is contained on page 16 of a report prepared for the DAA by ARUP, and submitted to the CAR (2).

The DAA/ARUP report says: the DAA considers the [cost benefit analysis] exercise undertaken by CEPA is inappropriate and contrary to the CAR s Statutory Objectives. The DAA accuses the CAR of being in breach of its statutory duty in reporting the consultant s finding that perhaps Terminal 2 should be delayed beyond 2009 for economic reasons.

The DAA has taken this stance even though the CAR has a statutory obligation to ensure economic efficiency when it sets maximum passenger charges. The CAR has chosen to meet that obligation as part of its current review of Dublin Airport passenger charges by asking Cambridge Public Policy Associates (CEPA) to undertake a cost benefit analysis
model-building exercise.

Although the CEPA model only included a small fraction of the total costs of Dublin Airport s expansion plans, it produced a negative result a net loss of 51 million. UPROAR s cost benefit analysis found that Dublin Airport s plans will actually mean an economic waste of 4.5 billion. When we plug our cost figures into the CEPA model we also get a similar large loss. This loss does not include a huge climate change cost of 8.4 billion.

The DAA s position is based on the presumption that the Government s Aviation Action Plan of 2005 gives it carte blanche to build whatever it likes. This flies in the face of our planning legislation and all government guidelines for the appraisal of public investments to ensure value for money. The Taoiseach, speaking specifically about airport investment at a conference at Dublin Airport on 23 October last, said: The sustainability test of major development projects aims to ensure that the impact on the wider economic and social environment is taken into account before projects go ahead at all. Most recently the need
for such a full cost benefit analysis was reiterated by Finance Minister Brian Cowen when he introduced the new National Development plan 2007-2013, which includes Dublin Airports planned investment.(3)

The DAA clearly does not want the full light of appraisal to be shined on its unsustainable plans, that may be leading us to a privatisation of Dublin Airport.

These matters, and more besides, will be raised by UPROAR at next week s Bord Pleanála oral hearing of the appeal against the construction of Terminal 2. See our appeal at: www.norunway.com/t2a/t2.htm

(1) UPROAR s Powerpoint slides has been put on the CAR site here:

(2) The DAA/ARUP report is available here:

(3) "I [ ] have introduced a number of initiatives [which] include: Revised Capital Appraisal Guidelines for all public sector capital projects which set out a detailed framework for the optimal appraisal and management of capital projects including a requirement for full cost benefit analysis for projects over 30m in value." See:
http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=4330