STATEMENT BY BRENDAN RYAN Labour Party General Election Candidate for Dublin North, 8 Jan 2007 RYAN CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY OF GREATER DUBLIN/LEINSTER AIRPORT Brendan Ryan, Labour candidate for Dublin North has stated that the position outlined by Enda Kenny, in today's Irish Independent and on RTE's Morning Ireland programme, when he suggested that there should be a proper evaluation of another airport to service the Greater Dublin area, is consistent with that which he and Pat Rabbitte had outlined to the Portmarnock action group UPROAR during a meeting with them last year i.e that there should be a proper cost-benefit analysis before proceeding with the proposed new parallel runway at Dublin Airport. Brendan Ryan also stated that he had attended the oral hearing of the appeal to An Bord Pleanala against FCC's decision to grant permission for the new parallel runway and delivered a personal submission calling on that body to refuse permission pending a proper evaluation of all alternatives including the development of a new commercial airport in the Greater Dublin/Leinster area. The following is an excerpt from that submission: "The growth in air traffic at Dublin Airport, the vehicular congestion on our roads around the airport, to and from the city centre, has raised public concern with regard to environmental issues and to the justification for the proposed new parallel runway. Imagine the impact of 40 million passenger movements per year into the future. Major traffic congestion affecting business and the quality of life for citizens will result. Residents of areas such as Portmarnock,St. Margaret's, River Valley and Ridgewood Estate, Swords, in particular, will be affected by increased noise pollution. There will be a requirement for miles of car parking with possible flooding impact in the region. I am recommending the establishment of an independent study to assess the feasibility of a Greater Dublin/Leinster Airport as an alternative to the proposed second runway, on the grounds referred to above, and in the interests of proper regional spatial planning. As Dublin Airport has the capacity, at present, to accommodate 25/26 million passengers per annum, loss of jobs into the future, within Dublin Airport will not be an issue." For more information contact Brendan Ryan at 086 821 6176 |