Fine Gael and Dublin Airport

The Fine Gael General Election Manifesto 2007 says the party in government will conduct an independent study on the feasibility of either a third independent terminal for Dublin Airport or a second airport for the East Coast region. We also welcome the manifestos commitment to develop a national aviation policy.

It is clear that this commitment puts the proposed new runway at Dublin Airport into question. As Fingal County Council has limited expansion at Dublin Airport to 35 million passengers per annum without a third terminal, there is no case for a new runway if a third terminal is not built. If, as promised, an independent feasibility study for a second airport in or adjacent to the Greater Dublin Area includes a cost benefit analysis of all options, it will find that the planned expansion of Dublin Airport to 60 million passengers per annum is not a susatinable development. The Portmarnock Community Association UPROAR has found that the Dublin Airport proposal would be a waste of at least €4.5bn and that a second airport would be an economic, social and environmental success, we would expect an independent evaluation to confirm that. See www.norunway.com.

Matthew Harley, Portmarnock, Co Dublin