Second Dublin Airport runway would be 'disaster' without law change
The head of DAA says unless the laws are changed, building a second runway at Dublin Airport will be a disaster.
Currently, planning conditions for the new runway, due to open in 2021, requires a reduced number of flights overnight.
Dalton Philips, the Chief Executive of DAA, which operates Dublin and Cork Airports, says that does not make sense.
He says without a change in legislation, the runway would be an even worse disaster than the abandoned Apple data centre in Athenry.
"Once that runway is up and running, you can only have 65 movements in and out of that airfield between 11pm and 7am. At the moment we're about 120 movements," he said.
"We'd have to go to Aer Lingus, we'd have to go to Ryanair and we'd have to say 'sorry, you can't allow those flights to take off or land.
It would be a disaster. Athenry and the whole data centre issue ... would be a rounding error compared to what we would have here if we didn't have the legislation in place.
The Transport Minister says legislation will be in place by Christmas, to allow the planned second runway at Dublin Airport be fully operational.
Minister Shane Ross says the law will be changed to allow for more overnight flights;
"It's an absolute economic imperative that it happens and he's absolutely right to say that," said Minister Ross.
"The legislation will be ready in September, introduced in September and through by Christmas and that will be in very good time."
