Daa chair appeals to Taoiseach for fast-tracked planning decision

Since the new runway opened in August 2022 that limit of 65 flights has consistently been breached, causing uproar among residents living directly under the flight path. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

The chair of Dublin Airport’s administrative body Daa has written to the Taoiseach asking for a fast-tracked decision on the airport's controversial north runway — but claimed that the airport “is not looking for any special treatment”.

Basil Geoghegan wrote to Leo Varadkar on August 14 seeking to highlight “a matter of significant concern” which “if not resolved urgently... will have serious consequences for Dublin Airport”.

Mr Geoghegan was referring to the fact that Fingal County Council has recently moved to enforce the new runway's planning permission — which allows for just 65 flights per night to arrive at or depart the airport.

Since the new runway opened in August 2022 that limit of 65 flights has consistently been breached, causing uproar among residents living directly under the flight path. In the week to August 18, some 772 night flights — the majority of them short-haul commercial in nature — departed or arrived at Dublin Airport, an average of 110 per night.

On August 8, six days before Mr Geoghegan’s letter, Daa was granted leave to take a judicial review against the enforcement of planning permission by the local authority.

However, An Bord Pleanála is currently considering an appeal against a ‘relevant action’ lodged by Daa seeking to overturn two of the conditions attached to the initial planning granted for the runway in 2007, including the provision limiting the number of night flights.

If the board denies the appeal, the night flights condition would be removed.

Residents unhappy 

Approximately 30,000 residents near the airport have been consistently overflown by jets at low altitudes since the new runway opened last August. The introduction of new flight paths in February has compounded the problem.

Local residents group the Fingal Organised Resident United Movement (Forum) described residents as “in shock” at Mr Geoghegan’s letter.

A spokesperson for Daa meanwhile said that it is Mr Geoghegan’s “responsibility to inform our shareholder of such matters at the highest levels and it was entirely appropriate to signal this at this juncture,” they said.

In his letter to the Taoiseach, Mr Geoghegan stressed that the night flights issue is of “utmost importance” for Daa, as an enforced reduction in night-time flights “would result in the mass cancellation of flights for passengers and cargo operators”.

He said that the action currently under consideration by An Bord Pleanála — which, if successful, would remove the night-time flights constraint — “represents a far more suitable approach for noise abatement at Dublin Airport”.

He said that it is “critical” that An Bord Pleanála — a body experiencing massive backlogs in its rulings at present — give its final decision “as soon as possible given the relevance of its decision to the enforcement action”.

“To be clear, Daa is not looking for any special treatment — but I am writing to ask you to impress upon ABP the critical national interest at stake and expedite the appeal,” he said.

A spokesperson for Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said that “it is not appropriate for the Government to intervene in this matter”.

“It is important that these statutory processes are allowed to function independently,” they added.

The Taoiseach declined to comment.