letter read into the record
by Labour Party candidate Brendan Ryan
at An Bord Pleanála on Thursday 12 October

Baltrasna,
Skerries,
County Dublin
An Bord Pleanala,
Marlboro Street,
Dublin 1

Inspector,

Thank you for affording me the opportunity to address this oral hearing.

I wish to make a formal observation in respect of planning application F04A/1755 from Dublin Airport Authority to construct, on airport lands, a runway, 3110 metres in length and 75 metres in width with associated works.

I have supported and will continue to support, previously Aer Rianta and now the DAA, in their objective to develop Dublin Airport to world class status. I acknowledge the unique contribution the airport has made and will continue to make to the economy of north Dublin, the Dublin region generally and the country as a whole. I believe this will continue whether there is a second runway or not.

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.

In response to Dail questions from my colleagues Roisin Shortall TD and Sean Ryan TD, requesting that a feasibility study be carried out for a second airport in the Greater Dublin/Leinster area before proceeding with the proposed additional runway, the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen suggested that issues such as this could be addressed by means of the Environmental Impact Statement which would be submitted as part of a Planning Application.

The applicants are required, under the EIS to consider other options such as:

Developing Other Irish Airports
Developing Baldonnell Aerodrome
Developing Gormanston Airdrome
Developing a new commercial airport

The EIS submitted as part of the planning application is flawed as far as I am concerned, as the Dublin Airport Authority are not in a position to assess the merits or otherwise of the development of a new commercial Airport in the Greater Dublin/Leinster area as they can only make this assessment on lands in their ownership, state lands or lands that they have sufficient interest in. I contend, therefore, that the DAA have proceeded without properly assessing one of the obvious options.

I believe the Planning Authority should have all of this information available to them when considering this application. Accordingly, I have no alternative, at this stage, but to recommend the refusal of this application pending this assessment.

Yours sincerely,

BRENDAN RYAN.