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MINISTER FOR FINANCE Jack Chambers has said the passenger cap at Dublin Airport is a “serious risk” to economic growth in Ireland.
Dublin Airport is only allowed to fly through a maximum of 32 million passengers a year based on planning conditions from 15 years ago.
Airlines have called for the cap to be lifted to meet demand, while others have questioned whether the cap should be lifted as Ireland tries to reduce its carbon emissions.
Asked about the row, Chambers said that the cap was “a serious risk to economic growth”, citing analysis by the Dublin Airport Authority and others.
He added: “It shows the risk that’s in our economy of strategic infrastructure continually being delayed in our planning system.
“I fully support the lifting of the cap. I think it’s important for growth, connectivity, tourism, and so much more, and the quicker it can be progressed through the planning system the better.
“Minister [Eamon] Ryan has said he supports the process going through the planning system as it is and our national aviation policy is clear on the importance of growth for Dublin Airport as part of wider economic development.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris said there are “constraints” on passenger numbers and encouraged leaders in aviation to come forward with suggestions.
He added: “I’m not a fan of a passenger cap, right, but I’m also very conscious that in relation to the specific planning issue that is a matter for that planning process.
“What I’m saying is be that as it may, are there other conversations that we can have about strategic national asset that is Dublin Airport, and indeed others airports, and I do think there is a need for people who have an expertise in this, including those who run our airports, to come forward with considered proposals.”
Speaking from Ukraine, Harris said that some organisations “took their eye off the ball” on the issue.
He said: “I don’t think it’s helpful to get into too much of a history lesson, but I do need to make one point. It’s clear many organisations, including the DAA in the past, took their eye off the ball in relation to this and how we’ve ended up with this peculiar construct where such strategic decisions are now matters for planning authorities almost exclusively.
“I can’t interfere in the planning process, I don’t want to say anything to cut across that, but I am open for business in terms of hearing ideas.
“It would be very helpful instead of people diagnosing the problem, instead of people telling us how challenging the situation is, if people now apply to themselves to sending forward solution suggestions, that’s what leaderships about, and if they do that, I’d certainly be willing to engage directly with them.”
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned earlier today that there will be 250,000 fewer passengers this Christmas season compared to last year, arguing it was “inevitable that prices will be significantly higher” as a result.
He said: “Many of the people coming home for Christmas will be coming home via Belfast because the Minister for Transport won’t get off his backside and do something.”
O’Leary accused Eamon Ryan of “spoofing away” and asked other senior figures of government to intervene to remove the cap.
Ryan said that the responsibility does not lie with him and is a matter for the local planning authority.
Dublin Chamber chief executive Mary Rose Burke said 3.46 million passengers went through Dublin Airport in August, making it the busiest month in its history.
She said: “To place a cap on the airport due to years-old planning conditions which are now obsolete is nonsensical.”
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We have the other extreme here. Damned if do. Damned if you don’t. The fact is heroin destroys families. They should of thought of that when selling the horrible stuff.
You’ll find that the majority, if not all, these inmates have come from broken homes and deprived communities where they sold drugs to survive. It’s nasty and yes they were part of the cycle that they themselves were trapped in but Obama is acknowledging that solution involve them; much in the same way Mo Molam knew the peace process in NI had to involve inmates in British prisons.
Why is Obama doing this at the end of his term instead of at the beginning? The US prison population stands at over 2million. That’s more than China has incarcerated. It’s almost 2.5 times more than Russia has in prison.
the vast majority of prisons in the US are privately owned, run foe profit and care more about the bottom line than society. barry is an actor..reading off a script and being told what to do, as badly as drugs have messed up parts of society unpunished white collar crime and the burden it has put on society has damaged it a lot more.
in america there is a prison industrial complex,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,thats the problem.
here there are yobos with 17 previous convictions walking free and committing more serious crimes because the justice system is far to lenient on them. the legal system does not mind, its a big cash cow for them.
Obama is a good actor and that’s all. It is well established fact that since he took office his administration has refused more freedom of information requests than other other administration in US history. And if he gave two shits about ‘non-violent crimes’ then he’d have long arranged for Snowden to come home and would have intervened in the Bradley Manning case as he could have done at any time.
He’s a liar, and has done nothing but further liberalise US laws (which is why most of these guys are in prison in the first place).
Hilary Clinton is far worse than he and if she makes it in it’s bye bye US.
OK idiot. Restored pride to US after years of Bush’s wrath. A true statesman. Agree with you about Hillary though. I hope Sanders wins
Try making a point like an adult and I might respond to you. Other than that. Take a hike.
you just replied to him.
My heart is bleeding purple piss reading the sob stories.
If anything our Judiciary here could learn a thing or two from US Judges about sentencing and the whole US legal system.
Instead of having Solicitors and Barristers they have just one set Lawyers who deal with your case from start to finish. Where there is a dedicated Prosecution Service staffed by full time Prosecution Lawyers and a dedicated Public Defenders Office staffed with full time Defence Lawyers for those that would normally get free legal aid here. And then Private Legal Firms for those that can afford them.
Yes because there is so little crime in the US compared to Ireland.
Funny how you, a prison officer, propose following almost every part of the US save the mass privatization of prisons, wonder why that could be, oh right, self interest.
Wari.
Simply because Privatised Prisons have been shown time and time again to be an utter disaster in terms of security and staff safety. One only has to look at our nearest neighbour to see just how much of a bad idea they are and why the rest of Europe are not following suit. In reality they actually cost the state more than those under Government control in the long term.
I’m all for criminals doing time for their crimes especially violent or sexual crime but some of the sentences for carrying a small amount of drugs are ridiculous. Check out the segment John Oliver did on it, it’s a real eye opener. When I think of the idiot I was as a teenager, I would hate to go to jail for 15 years because of being on idiot.
I didn’t deal drugs! lol
If the sale of illegal substances was legalised and regulated then a lot of these places would see a massive reduction in crime as the people relying on the drug trade to make a living would be forced into tax-paying, gainful employment as they could not compete with a well regulated, safe industry. Also, not only would we gain the tax from the legal sale of drugs, it would be much easier to ensure the quality and safety of such substances as they could be tested in proper labs before being passed onto the public. It doesn’t take a genius to see that the head in the sand approach just doesn’t work. As long as there is a clear demand for drugs, there will always be people willing to risk everything to meet that demand for massive tax free profits.
In fact the Americans have the right idea here. Conspiracy to distribute heroin is no small crime. In my opinion 15 years is entirely appropriate. Crime must be punished harshly or we are all doomed.
They should do more about guns than 1000 year prison terms
How about maybe not dealing heroin. Heroin is a violent drug as is most other drugs. And yes that includes Weed. So just because the initial deal was violent… what we should let them away. The Americans have the right way. Full length senences for federal offences. If we could adopt there legal court room system this country would be a hell of a lot better off.
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