Seán Ryan
Question:14 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her position in relation to the provision of privately owned terminals at Dublin Airport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24138/01]
Other Questions. - State Airports.
The Deputy will be aware from replies I gave to previous parliamentary questions on this subject that I have not adopted any particular ideological position on the concept of privately owned terminal facilities at Dublin Airport.
I am very worried. Although I am sure the Minister will not agree with me, my belief is that she did serious damage to Aer Lingus by having a degree of uncertainty about the future. I want to ensure Aer Rianta does not suffer similar damage as a result of uncertainty about its future. I do not question the Minister's ideology. Has she a policy on the future development of Dublin Airport, in which she is the main shareholder? Will the airport be developed by Aer Rianta or the private sector?
Aer Rianta is successful and its plans for expansion at Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports have been taken on board. Luckily the capital investment programmes for Shannon and Dublin Airports, which were agreed during the Deputy's time in Government, have been completed while a similar programme has recently commenced in Cork. Certain individuals constantly issue statements in which they say they could run the airports for nothing. They say that if access was given to all airports at a rate of £1 for 20 years, all would be well.
(Mayo): Name them.
I will not. One individual was named earlier in the House. Aer Rianta landing charges are among the cheapest in Europe and there is a commissioner in place to oversee such charges.
It is important for the Minister to clarify her policy on the future development of airports. Can I take it she intends to allow Aer Rianta to undertake whatever developments are required at all the airports? Will she send packing the carpetbaggers who are hovering around in the hope of landing a soft touch, particularly at Dublin Airport and clearly state that developments at the airport will be carried out by Aer Rianta? There would then be an air of certainty around the company and such a statement would send the other guys packing.
Is the Minister aware that Toronto Airport, which is the only airport in the western world to have been privatised, had to be bought back by the Canadian Government at a cost of £800 million?
I am, because the chairman of Aer Rianta told me.
He also told me.
He is prolific with his advice. I cannot stop anybody making proposals and proposals are constantly being made. I do not want to get into an argument about who is making them.
(Mayo): Am I correct that the Minister stated in the past month that she had an open mind about the possibility of a second terminal at Dublin Airport?
I said I had no ideological difficulty.
(Mayo): Does the Minister accept that Dublin is the only capital city in the world whose primary airport does not have a second terminal? This question relates to decentralisation and the dispersal of facilities, not ownership.
A second terminal is a different issue. However, it could well be provided by Aer Rianta or another developer but the issue is always approached from the wrong perspective. It is addressed in such a fashion that one person could develop the terminal. That could not happen because there would have to be a public tendering process, planning permission would have to be sought and the entire process would have to be followed through. One could not award a terminal franchise, which is such a valuable resource, to one person without careful consideration.
I presume the Minister is referring to St. Michael O'Leary.
That would be an incorrect use of public moneys. The argument is constantly put forward that one person should provide the terminal and then all will be well in the tourism, public transport and aviation sectors. It would not be proper ethically for a Government to hand over such a valuable resource. When the Deputy was in Government the matter was discussed by Deputy Dukes but Mr. McEvaddy did not receive planning permission from Fingal County Council.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.