"Irish cabinet to discuss second Dublin Airport terminal"

Friday, December 3, 2004

Cabinet to discuss second airport terminal
The Irish Times


The Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, will today signal that proposals for
a second terminal at Dublin Airport will go before Cabinet within weeks.

A spokesman for the Minister told The Irish Times last night that Mr Cullen
and the Cabinet were "keen that this issue was resolved".

He said Mr Cullen would not be making any announcement on the issue at a
major briefing on transport issues this morning but would signal that a
decision on the second terminal would be taken by Cabinet "in the very short
term".

There have been around a dozen separate expressions of interest by companies
in developing a second terminal at Dublin Airport. Last month it emerged
that the country's largest trade union, SIPTU, had proposed that its members
could financially invest in a new terminal.

Ryanair has strongly criticised the Government on several occasions for its
delays in deciding on the second terminal issue.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that money for the replacement of the Aer Lingus
fleet is not included in the 10-year "multi-annual envelope" currently being
finalised between the departments of Transport and Finance, it has emerged.

The 10-year package, which the Minister is to bring to Cabinet shortly, will
cover "a significant capital transport package . . . [ which] will benefit
jobs, the regions, commuters and business". According to a spokesman for the
Department of Transport, any decision by the Government to fund Aer Lingus
would be "completely separate" to the proposed envelope and would probably
be announced by the Minister for Finance himself.

The spokesman also said today's briefing by Mr Cullen would not provide
specific details of the 10-year transport programme.

"It is about the multi-annual funding and the kinds of things the Minister
can do, but there won't be a specific list until after the programme goes to
Cabinet." The spokesman said that would happen "shortly".

Much of the transport programme for the coming years is, however, already
known and includes the completion of the five main motorways between Dublin
and the Republic's regional cities.

About 7 billion of the promised 10.2 billion remains to be spent on the
roads programme alone between now and 2010.

The transport programme also includes almost 150 new DART and diesel
railcars, funding for access to rail transport for the disabled and major
rebuilding of a number of Dublin stations.

The programme also features a new rail station in Dublin's Dockland and
completion of the Cork Commuter Rail Project involving relaying of track
between Cork and Midleton.

High on the wish list of rail projects which lobbyists are hoping will be
included in the ten year programme are links from Shannon Airport to the
recently expanded Ennis to Limerick line and the reopening of the western
rail corridor.

Sources close to the review group set up by the former minister, Mr Brennan,
have said they are "confident" a new consultants' report which is due in
January will recommend the reopening of the route.

Mr Cullen has recently met members of the review group.

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, acknowledged the work of the group when he had a
meeting with members of the Border, Midland and Western Regional Assembly
recently.

A spokesman for Mr Cullen said that the 10-year funding programme would
provide transport projects with a definite date of commencement and allow
for planning issues and environmental impact statements to be dealt with in
advance.


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