Portmarnock Community Association Newsletter
June 2005

STOP the NEW RUNWAY
Support the call: Protect Your Health and Environment

A Message from the Chairman

Dear Fellow Resident,
These are challenging times for the people of Portmarnock, characterised by a series of significant threats to our health and quality of life. These include, unbridled housing development around us, a choked roadway infrastructure, inadequate public transport and perhaps most worrying of all, the threat to our health from aircraft created pollution in its various virulent forms. The PCA is actively pursuing each of these areas on your behalf.
The new runway proposal for Dublin Airport is unquestionably the most significant development facing the Portmarnock community. It is essential our interests are properly represented and taken into account and not overrun by the interests and agenda's of others, hidden or otherwise. Unfortunately little has been done to protect our interests to date
The flight path of this new runway will be directly over Portmarnock and will affect all residents. We are keenly aware from the research evidence gathered from around the world of the effect of airports on the environment and on human health. Airports are known to be major sources of noise, water and air pollution. Areas of Portmarnock are already experiencing some of these, although we are largely unaware of the extent apart from noise levels.
What we can be sure of is that this will be insignificant compared to what we are all likely to experience should the proposed new runway come to pass. To ensure our case is properly represented and convincingly made we require the funds and resources necessary to enable our efforts. We have developed a strong and compelling strategy to address the issues, along with a working group structure charged with implementing each area of the plan.
We urgently need to commission a number of studies (health impact, legal challenge, water and air quality and surface transport), which will be carried out by professional experts in order to help us build and make our case at the highest levels of the planning process.
Accordingly 1 am asking each family to fund these activities by committing to contribute €200 to the fighting fund in a way that best suits your needs and circumstances as outlined below.
Our mission is simple; to protect the community of Portmarnock from the serious threat of aircraft and airport created pollution that so negatively impacts on our health and safety, the education of our children and the value of our homes.

This is a time for us all to stand together as a real live community. You will shortly receive a visit from an UPROAR representative. Please give them your fullest support. Please don't leave it to others.
Yours faithfully

Joe Gallagher

Chairman PCA

NEWS

Ryanair Shoots Down New Runway
Second Terminal at Dublin Airport
URPOAR's campaign against the new runway at Dublin Airport received a massive boost when Ryanair, the largest Irish airline in a letter to the County Manager said that "there is no requirement whatsoever for a new second runway". They described the Dublin Airport Authority planning application as factually untrue and misleading and highlight Gatwick airport's plans to handle 40 million passengers per year on the single runway.
UPROAR is closely examining the recent decision to build a second terminal at Dublin Airport. Whilst this decision has no direct bearing on the new runway issue, as they need a second terminal to cope with existing business demand, many believe that the traffic implications will lead to chaos on the surrounding road structures including the M50

UPROAR Meet Minister for Transport
An UPROAR delegation met Minister Martin Cullen to inform him of the opposition from this community to the proposed new runway. In a subsequent comprehensive submission UPROAR raised a wide range of issues and called on him to initiate a study on whether or not Ireland's future airports needs were best served by a monopoly Dublin Airport or by a greater use of regional airports or by the development of a second Dublin Airport. While his general response was unfavourable, the minister did emphasise the difference between the planning decision and the actual approval to build a new runway.
UPROAR was invited to appear on Pat Kenny's radio show recently. Teresa Kavanagh and our road traffic consultant, Mr. Robert Kelly represented UPROAR. This was a very useful exercise in raising the second Dublin airport as a national issue.

Minister Callely Visits UPROAR
A much more positive meeting took place when Minister Ivor Callely accepted an invitation to travel to Portmarnock to meet UPROAR. He listened keenly to our case and agreed to give careful consideration to our submission, which we subsequently sent to him.

Labour Party
Having briefed Ms Roisin Shorthall the labour party spokesperson on transport, confirmation has been received of Mr Pat Rabitte's agreement to meet with UPROAR within the next two weeks.

Second Terminal at Dublin Airport
URPOAR's campaign against the new runway at Dublin Airport received a massive boost when Ryanair, the largest Irish airline in a letter to the County Manager said that "there is no requirement whatsoever for a new second runway". They described the Dublin Airport Authority planning application as factually untrue and misleading and highlight Gatwick airport's plans to handle 40 million passengers per year on the single runway.
UPROAR is closely examining the recent decision to build a second terminal at Dublin Airport. Whilst this decision has no direct bearing on the new runway issue, as they need a second terminal to cope with existing business demand, many believe that the traffic implications will lead to chaos on the surrounding road structures including the M50

Pat Kenny Show
UPROAR was invited to appear on Pat Kenny's radio show recently.Teresa Kavanagh and our road traffic consultant, Mr.Robert Kelly, represented UPROAR.This was a very successful excercise in raising the second Dublin airport as a national issue.

Questions & Answers
Mr. Robert Kelly also represented UPROAR on Questions & Answers. He took the opportunity to again highlight the unsustainability of a huge Dublin Airport from a road traffic viewpoint and suggested that a better solution was the construction of a second Dublin airport. A number of viewers rang in to the programme to support this idea.

What You Can Do
A fundraising committee has been established to create a fighting fund to meet the legal and other consultant costs associated with the campaign.

Each household is being asked to make a one off contribution of €200 or 24 monthly payments of €10 by standing order.

A board of trustees has been appointed to oversee this fund and to ensure that the monies are used appropriately.

Please send the completed Monthly Standing Order Form or one-off cheque made payable to the Portmarnock Community Association, to Cathy Caulfield, Padua, Carrickhill Road, Portmarnock or alternatively, you may prefer to hand it to the UPROAR representative when he/she calls.