Ministers to consider third terminal

DUBLIN Airport may have three independent terminals operating within the next five years if a Progressive Democrat compromise to resolve the most serious Cabinet row since the National Stadium at Abbotstown is accepted.

Transport Minister Martin Cullen will bring his proposals on future aviation policy to Cabinet tomorrow. While it is unlikely the Government will make any decision at the meeting, the discussion will involve PD proposals with regards to a third terminal.

The rift stems from Mr Cullen’s desire to retain the second terminal in State ownership (in that scenario, it will be developed by the Dublin Airport Authority) but open the terminal to competition.

However, Tánaiste Mary Harney is known to be strongly opposed to this arrangement.

Publicly, the PDs say that the proposal would not do enough to open Dublin Airport to real competition.

Privately, sources within the party cited concerns that the DAA or a consortium with union-participation could win the right to run the second terminal in an open tender process.

But suggestions floated by the PDs to exclude such interest from tendering were strongly resisted by Fianna Fáil ministers, including Mr Cullen. In any event, the Attorney General advised the Government that the tender process needed be open to accord with EU procurement rules.

Informed sources close to the process say that Ms Harney may be willing to back Mr Cullen’s proposals for a second terminal in return for firm and concrete commitments on a third terminal at the airport.

Labour Party spokesperson on transport, Roisin Shortall reacted to the compromise yesterday with “disbelief.”

“No case has been made for a third terminal and it is clear that this option is only being considered in order to defuse the row in government and to allow both Fianna Fáil and the PDs to claim a political victory,” she said.

But with passenger numbers at the airport projected to rise to €30 million per annum within ten years, even the extra capacity given by a second terminal will not be sufficient to accommodate such numbers, the PDs say.

However, while the Department of Transport is planning for a third terminal, the PDs will insist that such plans be upgraded to a firm commitment that is concrete and “tied down.”

The party is expected to insist on a clear and unambiguous proposal that gives the go-ahead for a third-terminal, to be built and operated privately and within a much shorter time-frame than is currently envisaged.

Intensive discussions have continued between the Tánaiste’s officials and their counterparts in Transport on this issue over the past few days.

Several Fianna Fáil sources claim the PDs are obsessed with transport and aviation, and seem beholden to the strident views of Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary.

The PDs reject these claims as “nonsense.” One source in the party pointed out that Mr O’Leary has publicly stated he does not want to build the terminal.