I thank Deputy Ahern for tabling this amendment. It makes sense that the Bill should include a definition of "international connectivity" to ensure that the Minister does not have free rein to cite international connectivity as a reason to get rid of the passenger cap and that there are some guardrails for citing this reason. Section 25 sets out the grounds on which the Minister can decide to revoke a passenger capacity condition, and this amendment would give a definition for one of the grounds on which the Minister can revoke it, since there is currently no definition of "international connectivity". We support the amendment. Ireland is an island nation. We had a meeting in Cork Airport on Friday morning. While there is great work being carried out at Cork Airport, I am not sure that the long-term plan has been looked at properly by the Government to ensure that there is Luas connectivity, maybe down to Wilton, as well as easy fixes such as a bus lane up to the airport and a widening of the existing road. That needs to be looked at with some haste. Our connectivity is not optional and our economy, our tourism sector, our diaspora and our ability to attract investment all depend on it. It is the linchpin for hundreds of thousands of jobs and there could be no question that we need a proper aviation strategy. Dublin Airport is fundamental to that, but the passenger cap has been outgrown and is really out of step with reality. Last year, there were 36 million passengers through Dublin Airport when, as everyone knows, the cap was at 32 million. A 4 million difference is not a rounding error. There is something going wrong. The passenger cap is not really realistic any more but we do not want to merely rubber-stamp the decision that is being taken by the Government. With the cap, we must ensure that there is essential progress but this Bill exposes, if nothing else, the absence of any long-term coherent aviation strategy from the Government. As in Cork Airport, we must plan not only for ten years ahead, but 20 years, 30 years and 40 years and increase capacity in our regional airports, because they are a key to unlocking Ireland's potential. From Kerry to Cork, Shannon, Knock, Waterford, Donegal, Belfast, Derry and beyond, there is unlocked potential. We must also engage with the fact that local communities have felt ignored, particularly in north County Dublin and Meath, and overlooked for years. Proper community consultation on, for example, night flights does not mean preventing progress. It can enhance proposals and plans. This Bill represents an opportunity to oblige the Minister, and the DAA most importantly, to do a better job. The amendments that we have put forward aim to tackle these issues. There has been neglect of our national aviation policy. There is no doubt about it. A year later, we are still operating without a policy. Despite parliamentary questions, we still have not obtained clarity from the Government as to when this long-promised update will be delivered. How can we have any confidence in the Government's approach, particularly to the regional airports, with a policy framework that is more than ten years out of date? When we are lifting the passenger cap, the Government must place equal energy, ambition and investment into developing the regional airports because 80% of passengers are processed through Dublin. Cork gets a fraction, even though its numbers have increased by 63% over the past ten years. Shannon, Knock, Kerry and Donegal are all far below their potential and that is as a result of Government inaction. Regional airports are not only transport hubs. They support tourism, create jobs and provide a vital link to our emigrant communities, for example, in London, Manchester, Coventry and Leeds. Communities are also connected to Europe and beyond. Funding, of course, remains piecemeal and is insufficient. Route development is limited, infrastructure investment is slow and there is no overarching plan tying it all together, which is a missed opportunity. We propose a new national aviation policy be delivered within six months, one that reflects the realities of modern aviation and sets out a clear path for the future with clear targets for regional airport growth, annual reporting to ensure accountability and a regional aviation impact assessment, so that Dublin's expansion does not come at the expense of the rest of the country. Although the Government has the regional airports programme, it is essential regional airports are not treated as an afterthought but they should be viewed as a key priority. This task force should be specifically focused on growing passenger numbers in Shannon, Cork and Knock, supporting new international routes, such as a transatlantic route out of Cork, which would incentivise airlines to base aircraft outside Dublin and improve transport links to regional airports. If we are serious about balanced regional development, we cannot simply talk about it but we have to plan, invest and deliver it.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I move amendment No. 2: In page 8, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: “(4) The Minister shall, not later than 12 months following commencement, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report reviewing daa’s compliance with the directions of the Minister.”. This amendment seeks that the Minister should within 12 months following commencement, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report reviewing DAA's compliance with the directions of the Minister because, as we all know, there is a lack of trust in the north County Dublin area in what the DAA has done.

Sentiment score: -0.02