Increased grants to be offered to homeowners affected by Dublin Airport noise

A total of 33.3 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport's terminals last year, a rise of 4% on 2023's figures. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins

Dublin Airport's operators are to offer an increased grant scheme to homeowners affected by loud aircraft noise.

The number of people affected by night-time noise at the hub is greater than it had been in 2019, which is a breach of a priority requirement of the Noise Abatement Objective for the airport

But Dublin Airport Authority (Daa), which operates the airport, will be getting in contact with what it says are 400 eligible homes for the grant.

Daa says the grant will increase from €20,000 to €30,000.

This grant will cover sound insulation upgrades, including acoustic double-glazing, acoustic vents, attic insulation and chimney capping, as relevant. 

It claims a reduction of at least five decibels in internal noise levels can be achieved through these improvements.

More than €18m has been spent to date by Daa on insulation and purchasing eligible local homes. 

A voluntary buy-out option has been offered to 41 homeowners in the vicinity of the airport. Six purchases have been completed so far, with a further 14 in the process.

Commenting, Daa chief executive Kenny Jacobs said: "We know from our ongoing engagement with communities impacted by airport operations that sound insulation makes a real difference to people’s quality of life, and we want to get on with this scheme. 

"We hope that today’s announcement is a welcome addition to the wide set of mitigation measures we offer to minimise the impact of airport operations on our neighbours.” 

The news comes as 2024's figures for Dublin Airport were published on Tuesday.

Passenger numbers

A total of 33.3 million passengers passed through the terminals, a rise of 4% on 2023's figures.

When adding connections and other passengers, the total number of passengers using Dublin Airport in 2024 was 34.6 million.

London Heathrow was the most popular destination for those flying from Dublin, with Amsterdam, Manchester, London Gatwick, and London Stanstead completing the top five.

Sunday, December 29, was the busiest day of the year, with 98,064 passengers moving through the hub.

Mr Jacobs said: "Dublin’s numbers tell a different story — we had both a year of growth with very strong airline and passenger demand, while we were making every effort to dampen demand because of the terminals passenger cap."

In December, the Daa lodged a new planning application with Fingal County Council, seeking the passenger limit at Dublin Airport to be raised from 32 million to 36 million a year.