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Dublin Airport seeks planning exemptions to bypass council controls

Such demands come as Fingal County Council separately considers the DAA’s €1.5 billion plan to bring Dublin Airport’s annual capacity to 40 million passengers

The operator of Ireland’s main aviation hub has asked for wider planning exemptions for airport infrastructure

Arthur Beesley
Tue Apr 30 2024 - 06:00

Dublin Airport Authority is pressing Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien for special planning concessions as he prepares for final Dáil debates on new laws to streamline the planning system.

The operator of Ireland’s main aviation hub has asked for wider planning exemptions for airport infrastructure and new rights to bypass local authority planners for developments with no aircraft noise implications.

It wants to be able to make direct planning applications to An Bord Pleanála or its successor – An Coimisiún Pleanála – and is seeking a fast-track appeal mechanism.

Such demands come as Fingal County Council separately considers the DAA’s €1.5 billion plan to bring Dublin Airport’s annual capacity to 40 million passengers. The plan is a big strategic priority for the State-owned business after it came close last year to breaching the 32 million passenger cap.

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In a sign of the political sensitivity that surrounds airport developments within the Coalition, the DAA application to Fingal has stirred resistance from senior Green politicians and every Fianna Fáil member of the council.

The push for new planning concessions was set out in a previously unreported DAA submission last year to the Department of Housing, which said the current system can be inflexible, unduly complex and “involves undesirable delays and risks”.

But the question is coming to the fore again as Mr O’Brien readies Dáil amendments to draft laws on a mammoth overhaul of planning. “He hasn’t signalled his intent on this one”, said a Government source familiar with the Minister’s thinking on the situation.

The Cabinet is considering fresh amendments for the report and final stage Dáil debate, scheduled for late May. Although Mr O’Brien has yet to settle his stance, it is understood there are no plans at present to grant new measures for airport planning.

A DAA spokesman said: “In our proposal we were taking the opportunity to give input as part of the engagement around the bill that we think makes sense and would allow for speedier delivery of key infrastructure at a strategic site for the country.”

The submission highlights the significance of Dublin Airport, saying it sustains or facilitates some 116,100 jobs and €9.6 billion in added economic value.

It goes to seek “provisions in primary legislation to widen planning exemptions for operational airport infrastructure”, saying current measures are inadequate for the demands of aviation.

[ Third passenger terminal at Dublin Airport will be built eventually, says Ulick McEvaddy ]

“DAA requests that the Bill include a specific statutory provision, which allows an airport operator to carry out operational modifications or changes in connection with the provision of airport services and facilities, without the need for a formal planning application,” the document states.

“A similar planning exemption regime applies to airports operating in Northern Ireland (and Great Britain).”

The DAA has not been allowed to make direct applications to An Bord Pleanála since 2019 but it now wants “self-directed direct access” to its successor.

“DAA would welcome the inclusion in the Bill of a mechanism to facilitate a direct application by DAA to the Commission [An Coimisiún Pleanála] for a strategic infrastructure application where there is no issue concerning aircraft noise involved and hence issues that fall within the 2019 Act are not directly relevant,” the submission said.

The DAA wants to bypass the council when advancing developments as the reconfiguring of terminals and internal traffic movement arrangements. It also wants capacity for “design flexibility” on infrastructure applications and a fast-track process to seek changes for a permitted development.

Arthur Beesley

Arthur Beesley

Arthur Beesley is Current Affairs Editor of The Irish Times

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