Backing for bill on Dublin Airport limit
The Government has approved the priority drafting of a bill that will give the Minister for Transport new powers to change the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
The cap, currently set at 32 million passengers a year, has been strongly criticised by airlines and business groups.
Minister Darragh O’Brien said that the Government had backed the publication of the General Scheme of the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026.
He said that he would engage with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport to progress pre-legislative scrutiny and advance the formal drafting of the bill.
‘Strategic importance’
“This Government recognises the strategic importance of Dublin Airport as our primary international gateway and the vital role it plays in supporting economic growth, connectivity and jobs across the State,” he stated.
The proposed bill gives the minister the power to make an order to amend or revoke the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
Before making an order, the minister will engage with An Coimisiún Pleanála, which will carry out any relevant assessments required under EU law.
Balance
The Department of Transport says that the minister will take the outcome of those assessments into account when making an order.
The department says that this approach “will facilitate the sustainable development of Dublin Airport by ensuring compliance with applicable EU law, while balancing the rights of local residents with the objectives of Ireland’s National Aviation Policy and the needs of business and tourism”.
In parallel with the legislation, a DAA application to raise the cap and develop other projects to boost capacity is going through the planning system.