Jerry Buttimer
Cork South-Central · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Its priority is to provide scheduled public transport services on the TFI network. It works with event organisers, operators, local authorities and An Garda Síochána to provide additional transport supports where it is possible to do so.”
“I commit to relaying the points the Senator has made on the floor of the House, and has conveyed to me in private, to the Department of Transport. To be fair to the Senator, it was not only this morning that he has articulated this. The travelling supporters of Kerry and Mayo deserve additional transport.”
“I understand from the company that the Expressway team is currently examining whether additional services on route 22 will be added on the morning of Sunday, 26 July.”
“In this case, for Kerry and Mayo, as the Senator rightly said, it will see a high demand for scheduled and additional services. The Senator has outlined the volume of tickets sales. This is the busiest time for scheduled intercity services anyway, given that it is peak summer time, and that is a priority.”
“I understand from speaking to Irish Rail that it hopes to be in a position to confirm the number of additional services later this week - I am hoping this will be today or tomorrow - and it will advise customers as soon as these services are available to book.”
“The Senator mentioned Sneem and Ventry. He and I will remember our great friends, the late, great John Egan and Paudie O'Shea, as well as the Senator's brother Tim. I get emotional because they were great GAA people. Cork and Kerry have the best supporters of the GAA.”
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“It was a great comeback. What we can agree on is that Cumann Lúthchleas Gael brings us all together. It is a wonderful organisation and our job is to ensure we can all enjoy it. I wish the best of luck to the four teams taking part in the all-Ireland football and hurling finals in the coming weeks.”
“I commit to relaying the points the Senator has made on the floor of the House, and has conveyed to me in private, to the Department of Transport. To be fair to the Senator, it was not only this morning that he has articulated this. The travelling supporters of Kerry and Mayo deserve additional transport. I will impress upon Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and private tour and coach operators the need to have extra services available. I hope that whatever happens on Sunday week, we will have a great all-Ireland final. There are many who think that Kerry has won enough of them and that Mayo deserves to win at least one in our lifetime, but that is a different matter. The points are well made, and the Acting Chairperson, being an advocate of public transport, will recognise that. We congratulate Wicklow on winning the Tailteann Cup last weekend.”
“The Senator mentioned Sneem and Ventry. He and I will remember our great friends, the late, great John Egan and Paudie O'Shea, as well as the Senator's brother Tim. I get emotional because they were great GAA people. Cork and Kerry have the best supporters of the GAA. The Senator is right that it is important we provide additional transport. I will temper expectations, however, by making the point that there is only so much Irish Rail and Bus Éireann can do, as the Senator will know. We do not have routes that would support everyone travelling. To be fair to the NTA, it has a dedicated team which attends pre-event meetings, so we do see planning. In the case of Irish Rail, I give the example of Stephen Hackett in Cork. There is a lot of work going on there, and I am sure the same applies in Kerry.”
“Additional bus services have also been added to facilitate events in Malahide Castle, the Aviva Stadium, St. Anne's Park, Marlay Park, Fairview Park and the 3 Arena. For those using toll roads, the toll booths will have extra staff. It is important that people recognise they can use their card at the tolls and should have the correct change if using cash. Using a toll tag also allows drivers to pass through the tolls quicker. I wish both teams well on Sunday week, and I wish Limerick and Galway well this Sunday. I hope all the travelling public have a safe journey to and from the match. Go n-éirí leo go léir.”
“I understand from the company that the Expressway team is currently examining whether additional services on route 22 will be added on the morning of Sunday, 26 July. The Department of Transport has ensured that significant collaboration is taking place between the National Transport Authority, NTA, and operators in order that sufficient public transport capacity is provided for major events. For example, in the last week or so, additional public transport services have been provided to service events on top of the scheduled transport services for the concerts in Malahide, the Aviva Stadium and Marley Park, as well as for the Croke Park match fixtures and events. Additional Luas tram services have been provided over that period of time and Dublin Bus provided numerous additional bus services to facilitate crowds.”
“I understand from speaking to Irish Rail that it hopes to be in a position to confirm the number of additional services later this week - I am hoping this will be today or tomorrow - and it will advise customers as soon as these services are available to book. The Senator is correct that the travelling public, the supporter, deserves to know as soon as possible in order to make plans. As Senator Kennelly outlined, it is expected that all additional trains will sell out very quickly, as was the case with the extra services operated for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Dare I say it, even Kerry supporters travelled, and they are not used to travelling. As a Cork man, I will not go there today. In the case of our friends from Mayo, Bus Éireann operates the Expressway route 22 from Ballina to Dublin.”
“In this case, for Kerry and Mayo, as the Senator rightly said, it will see a high demand for scheduled and additional services. The Senator has outlined the volume of tickets sales. This is the busiest time for scheduled intercity services anyway, given that it is peak summer time, and that is a priority. In saying that, it is also important that we look at the Monday morning services and have those trains in place, which is part of where we are going, in the scheduling of additional train services. Irish Rail will operate additional services for supporters from both counties. I thank the Senator for raising this matter and for his ongoing advocacy on behalf of the supporters of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael. The number of extra trains will be determined by available fleet, drivers and infrastructure capacity.”
“Its priority is to provide scheduled public transport services on the TFI network. It works with event organisers, operators, local authorities and An Garda Síochána to provide additional transport supports where it is possible to do so. The focus of the remit of the Department of Transport and the NTA with respect to events like the All-Ireland final is to provide additional transport to support large-scale events where required and where operators are in a position, in terms of drivers, fleet and available funding, to provide an additional service. In the case of Cork, Stephen Hackett of Irish Rail in Cork has always been very proactive. I have been assured by Irish Rail that since last weekend when the All-Ireland final between Mayo and Kerry was confirmed, work has begun to provide additional services for Mayo and Kerry supporters.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a thógáil. We might be a bit like Joe Canning and Dónal Og Cusack now talking about trains and buses but the Senator is right; it is an important topic. The travelling public and the supporters of Kerry and Mayo deserve certainty and require modes of transport other than cars to go to Croke Park on Sunday week. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and funding but his remit does not cover scheduling or the monitoring of routes. Those are matters for Bus Éireann and Irish Rail. Nevertheless, I have spoken to both providers about public transport for the All-Ireland final, as I did last year when Cork were in the final. The NTA has responsibility for securing the provision of public transport passenger services.”
“I encourage everyone, including the Deputy, to encourage everyone to collaborate with the local authorities to ensure we can bring many projects over the line but also to ensure that at the core of what we do is dealing with the challenge of social inclusion. We have a variety of schemes, including the local enhancement programme in recent weeks, which is small projects with small money but which are important transformational projects. I will sit down with the Deputy in the coming weeks to have that conversation. We are ambitious. We recognise the contributions of people in local areas and we want to see them flourish. I will be happy to sit down with the Deputy.”
“In a previous reply, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, mentioned the new building and community investment funding. It is important to make the point that it is a cross-governmental approach working with the local authority. In terms of civic and community culture and civic hubs, the Minister and I want all local communities to develop. We are ambitious that people can live and flourish in some cases where they are from and are able to regenerate that area. We have allocated significant funding to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for a variety of projects, including library development, playgrounds and different vibrant areas of the community.”
“For example, Dundrum is eligible for funding under the urban regeneration and development fund administered by the Department of housing. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has been approved for funding of €4.3 million for the new Dundrum community hub. I understand a preliminary business case has been made.”
“I appreciate that Dundrum, in some cases, is not eligible for funding under some of the criteria for schemes. The Minister and I have had conversations with many Deputies in the House, especially those from west Dublin, parts of Cork South-Central and parts of the Deputy’s own constituency. We are very much committed to community development and regeneration. The Deputy will have heard the Minister, Deputy Calleary, speaking a moment ago on the regeneration of urban village centres in reply to another question. It is pivotal to us. Our Department and the Government place a strong emphasis on social inclusion and addressing social disadvantage. We are open to discussion on the mechanisms of support for many different projects.”
“As announced recently, the local enhancement programme for 2026 provided €7 million in capital supports to many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged communities in rural and urban areas. The list of successful projects for the 2026 programme was well propagated and includes a number of organisations in the Dundrum area, supporting activities such as the provision of youth services. I will comment further following the Deputy's supplementary question.”
“The Southside Partnership implements SICAP in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, which includes Dundrum in its catchment area. The Department has also approved significant capital investment in Dundrum to support the development of community spaces. For example, €99,000 has been allocated to the upgrade of the Patrick Doyle Road playground in Dundrum under the community recognition fund. Also under the community recognition fund, €146,000 has been approved for an upgrade to Balally scout den. Under the community centre investment fund, over €14,000 was allocated for the upgrade of kitchen and toilet facilities at Rosemount Family Resource Centre.”
“I thank the Deputy for the question. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I have developed a range of funding schemes and interventions which advance the development of communities across the country. While many of the Department's schemes are focused on rural areas, others traverse both rural and urban communities. These include the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, the community services programme, the community centre investment fund, the community recognition fund and the local enhancement programme. The Department's SICAP programme is the country's primary social inclusion programme. As the Deputy knows, SICAP aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality in Ireland through supporting communities and individuals, using community development as its main method of approach.”
“We are committed to ensuring that people have access to childcare and community childcare places. I will talk to her ahead of my meeting next week with the two gentlemen in question. However, the important point is that, as the Deputy knows, we have done a census in the social enterprise space.”
“The important point is that there is a commitment by the Government. I share the Deputy's confidence in terms of the capacity of social enterprises to deliver. I will have that conversation next week, but it would be fair to say that we are seeing a co-ordinated response from the Government. We are tackling the key issues. There is a deficit in some places around the provision of community childcare places. In saying that, I do not agree with the Deputy in every respect. I do not share her view on the for-profit issue around home help, which was one example given by the Deputy. In my area of Cork city, home help is being provided by people through the HSE co-ordinator there. Phenomenal work is being done. I will talk to the Deputy again about it.”
“I was in Drogheda yesterday where I had a very profound conversation with women there in terms of the whole piece around childcare and poverty. The important point for us is that we are working in a whole-of-government way in assisting local communities in a variety of ways. I know the Deputy might disagree with me, which is fair enough. I get that we need to do more around childcare and particularly that community piece.”
“I understand where the Deputy is coming from. I genuinely do. Empower is the community childcare provider in her area. It does phenomenal work. As the Deputy knows, SICAP does not directly provide that community childcare place. I am meeting John Logue and Richard Bruton from Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland, SERI, next week to have a conversation with them in terms of this piece. I will pose the question in a rhetorical and adversarial way right now. What is the community childcare committee doing in the case of Fingal? I will just ask that question. If we look at the overarching scenario, to be fair to the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Department of Social Protection and the Taoiseach and his Department, we are putting child poverty and its elimination and reduction at the heart of government.”
“However, while SICAP can provide some supports to community organisations and social enterprises, the programme is not designed for the direct delivery of services such as childcare.”
“Work is continuing to support and grow the sector through the strategy's stakeholder engagement group. Funding of €4 million was announced in 2025 under the Dormant Accounts Fund growing social enterprise scheme. A further €4 million was allocated this year to a sustaining social enterprise scheme, which will support social enterprises to become more financially self-sufficient. I hope to announce the successful awardees with the Minister later this year. SICAP's primary focus is the delivery of support to its 12 target groups and the provision of supports to strengthen the capabilities of organisations working with those target groups. The programme's broad parameters and wide-ranging supports have ensured that it has been and continues to be able to respond flexibly to that local need.”
“The current iteration of SICAP for the four-year period from 2024 to 2028 contains a revised key performance indicator for goal 1 that explicitly includes the provision of social enterprise supports, both financial and non-financial, as working towards the achievement of goal 1 objectives. This is in recognition of the important role that social enterprises can play in effecting change, working with SICAP target groups. In 2025, SICAP supported over 500 social enterprises through capacity-building supports and small-scale grants of up to €2,500. As Deputy O'Reilly will know, in July 2024, my Department launched Trading for Impact, the national social enterprise policy for a three-year period to conclude next year. This was developed in partnership with the social enterprise sector.”
“I do not think it is as simple as the Deputy thinks but I thank her for the question. It is an important question. The provision of community childcare is very important. The Deputy and I probably share a view on the issue. As she will know, this does not necessarily fall under the remit of the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP. I will come back to her again. I hope we will find common ground as we move forward. Social enterprises have a substantive role to play in furthering the objective of the Department, the Minister and me to build inclusive, sustainable and empowered communities right across Ireland.”
“I accept there are difficulties and challenges and we must, as part of the budgetary process, work to ensure rural transport receives its allocation of funding to progress new routes.”
“The Government and the Department of Transport have been proactive in their support of rural transport. I do not think the Deputy would dismiss the fact that this year €718 million has been allocated to investment in the regional and local road network. I do not think the Deputy will oppose that and Waterford, through its county council, has received significant funding. The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and the Department of Transport are committed to continued investment in our roads infrastructure, and in the critical piece of connectivity of people in our rural areas. I do not think the Deputy will disagree that there has been significant improvement in the provision of rural transport and growth in the use of it. I go back to the point about the number of people using it and the number of services.”
“Rural communities have made significant advances over the lifetime of this Government and that of the last one. Now, 600,000 people are interconnected with access to 185 new or enhanced services and-----”
“As the Deputy is aware, I have been in west Waterford and I hope we will find a solution to that impasse. Having visited the site and spoken to locals, what is happening there does not make sense to me. I have asked that it be looked at. I will make the point in the round that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, has been proactive, as have I, in being an advocate for rural Ireland and rural communities. That voice is heard by the Minister and me and across the Government. We are close to the development of the next five-year Our Rural Future strategy. The Minister is undertaking bilateral meetings with other Departments at the moment about that document. It is important that it takes a whole-of-government approach because the Deputy is right.”
“Under the National Transport Authority, with funding from the Department of Transport, 185 new or enhanced services have been delivered or implemented in the past four years, linking more than 240 towns and villages to the public transport network. With funding for the rural transport programme, regular rural services increased by 32% between 2024 and 2025. More than €87 million was invested, boosting passenger numbers on regular rural services by 47%. The important point for all of us who understand the importance of rural transport is that under the Connecting Ireland programme more than 600,000 people now have access to useful daily public transport services for the first time. We can do more. We are ambitious to do more. I accept there are difficulties and lacunas and I will come back again on that.”
“While responsibility for the provision of transport services, including engagement with relevant State agencies and semi-State bodies, falls under the remit of the Department of Transport and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, with me as the Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, the Government’s Our Rural Future policy takes a whole-of-government approach to rural development, with the Minister, Deputy Calleary, leading on actions to support rural communities being delivered across a range of Departments and agencies. The important point is that the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan has delivered significant improvements in rural transport services over the lifetime of Our Rural Future to date.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht na ceiste. Is cúis mhór bhróid dom an cheist seo a fhreagairt ar son mo chomhghleacaithe, an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, agus go mórmhór an tAire Iompair, an Teachta O'Brien. I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and for his interest in rural transport. He will have a group from west Waterford here tomorrow. I hope we will get together. The Government is of the view that rural transport plays a pivotal and important role in supporting rural communities and ensuring rural people and places are interconnected.”
“One of the best things I ever did as Cathaoirleach was to sit down with Martin Groves, the then Clerk of the Seanad, to parse amendments. I learned so much about what the thought process was and what we could all do. The Minister made a commitment in the Dáil on the flight plans raised by Senators. We will address that on Committee Stage and Report Stage. I thank Senators for the debate. I am sorry for going off script. It was an invigorating debate. I thank Members for their interest. I hope the Bill goes through to the next Stage, so that we can continue to parse it in the debate.”
“For me, working with my colleagues, this is about ensuring that all of our airports continue to play an essential role in the Irish economy, that we do what we are trying to do here in increasing the passenger cap, while recognising at the same time that people in the Fingal area have genuine concerns. This is landmark legislation which will ensure the country maintains its existing connectivity and employment, while facilitating the new strategic routes we all want, driving national economic growth and creating employment in the future. The hub part of aviation is here to stay, no matter where we live or where we go. The Minister is committed to listening to and working with Senators. I welcome the tabling of amendments.”
“The other point I will give the senior Minister in the Department credit for is that, for the first time, the regional airports programme, which Members discussed tonight, is being expanded to include airports with up to 3 million passengers. Cork Airport does not qualify for that. Shannon Airport is on an even playing field already. It is flying ahead of us in Cork already at one level. The previous threshold was 1 million. The Minister has changed it now. There was consensus among Senators on the need for an ongoing commitment to our regional airports. The experience of flying through any of the regional airports is phenomenal in terms of waiting times and security. The investment in Cork Airport means the new security operation is unbelievable.”
“We cannot lose that slot allocation as an island because it is critical to flying out of Europe and beyond. I am genuinely interested in this area because I see the potential damage that can be done. Let us look at the number of airlines in America and Europe that have folded. In Cork, we thought Norwegian Airlines was going to be the panacea for everything that had gone wrong. We thought things would get better but, as Senators know, they did not. It is important that we have balanced regional development. To be fair to the Minister, he is emphasising the importance of the DAA acting as a good neighbour and being a conduit.”
“I am not taking the credit for it. We must all promote the routes and ensure we have the offering. It is not about Ibiza or Santa Ponsa, which are important, but about the lines or routes of quality. It is important that we stress that. I want to ensure we have balanced regional development, as does the Government and the Minister for Transport. Senator Collins is right that it is about an all-island initiative. That is why the Taoiseach, through the shared island initiative, is pushing Dublin to Derry links and I hope we see Cork to Belfast links. Having an all-island dimension is what Brexit has taught us. I have gone off-piste tonight. The officials will never send me out again. We must not forget the slot allocation and the importance of Heathrow. We see the difficulty Aer Lingus is in.”
“He has transformed it, but we cannot just bend the knee to him at every opportunity, as some airports on this island have done. We have to work to ensure we have balanced regional growth. I was in Frankfurt last week visiting Lufthansa with representatives of Cork Airport to do a new direct route from Cork to Frankfurt.”
“Here is the point. Senators should not fall into the trap of blaming Government policy. They should look at what many of us have done and do. Senator Boyhan made a point and I will name Michael O'Leary of Ryanair. He has changed aviation-----”
“When Monsignor Horan showed vision, many, including the then leader of my party, did not listen to him. It shows the importance of that airport in the west. Last year saw an increase in passenger numbers at all regional airports, with numbers up by 13% to almost 3.5 million in Cork, by 9% to 2.3 million in Shannon, by 13% in Ireland West Airport and by 6% at Kerry Airport. At Donegal Airport, which nobody mentioned tonight, passenger numbers were up by 9%. If it were the case that we were all focusing on Dublin as the only place to go to, why are passenger numbers increasing in regional airports?”
“The Department, our officials and the Ministers in the Department are very much aware of the concerns raised by the letter the Senator read to the House tonight. Officials are examining it and will come back to him on it. I am smiling because when I was here I often spoke up for Cork Airport and the need for balanced regional development. I will make this point to Members. If there is a preponderance of Government policies towards Dublin Airport, and it does feel like that sometimes, many of us also advocate for other areas. In my case, it is Cork. I will put a couple of figures on the record. I congratulate Senator Duffy on Ireland West Airport in Knock celebrating its significant anniversary this year.”
“I go back to the people of Cork and the model Cork Airport uses in its engagement with stakeholders. It may not be perfect but the airport will sit down with neighbours, residents and groups. We have had issues but it dealt with them comprehensively through engagement and by being honest and up-front. When the Minister issues the stakeholder expectation letter to the new chair and the board, I will ask him to engage further and make that clear. Senator Conway referred to the letter in terms of aviation. The Senator is right that I have a huge interest in aviation. I am also a former member of the transport committee. Aviation is a highly regulated area and safety and security are of the upmost importance. We debated the aviation Bill in the House with Senator Craughwell before I left to go to the Chair.”
“Senator Conway spoke about Seán Citizen but the balance we need to get right is that if we do not do what we are doing tonight, Seán Citizen will lose because jobs will go, our reputation in aviation will be lost and people will vote with their feet. We have to get the balance right. We cannot dismiss jobs or the local economy. I hear the point about connectivity, roads and transport, which is important. Senators Clifford-Lee and Duffy referred to listening to the residents. We must do that. Nothing I say is meant to dismiss in any way the views of residents because we cannot do that. I mean that most genuinely, having been a public representative now for 22 years. I will bring back to the Minister the need to emphasise the principle of good neighbourliness, which DAA must live up to.”
“Senator Boyhan is right that the residents who bought their houses in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s did not foresee where we would be today; none of us did. I say this as somebody who grew up in a family home under the flight path to Cork Airport. I remember sitting in the back garden as a child waving at planes and thinking the passengers could wave back at me. I could nearly see in the windows, and I am not exaggerating. We have to understand the frustration of neighbours and residents. Senator Clifford-Lee made a point about a school. We have to take cognisance of that, and I say that genuinely.”
“I will come back to what I was going to say in a second. The speech I have been given has been made redundant, but that is okay. The world of aviation has changed. We have to look at it through the prism of various things. I will not name any individual but the number one issue is what the airline wants. The second is what the population mass of the catchment area of an airport is, and the third is what the passenger loads are going to be. We are an island nation which, whether we like it or not, is very much beholden to the connectivity provided by airlines to bring us to and from the island. The fundamental point, which was well articulated by Senator Clifford-Lee and other speakers, is that we must not dismiss the frustration of residents.”
“First, the passenger cap was not a targeted climate measure and, second, international aviation emissions are excluded from the climate action plan. As such, this provides clarity about the application of that Act to the actions to be taken under this legislation. This legislation will not only ensure the sustainable development of Dublin Airport but will also ensure that any environmental impacts will be independently assessed and the views of the public will be heard as part of that process. As such, the approach set out in the legislation represents the most balanced and reasonable way forward. I commend the Bill to the House. I look forward to hearing the views of Members.”
“This part also provides for amendments to the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Act 2019. The definition of "operating restriction" has been amended to align with EU Regulation 598/2014 on the establishment of rules and procedures with regard to the introduction of noise-related operating restrictions at European Union airports within a balanced approach. Two transitional provisions that are no longer relevant have been deleted and a provision has been inserted to clarify that the 32 million passenger cap is not an operating restriction within the meaning of the 2019 Act. Finally, section 39 of the Bill provides a derogation from section 15(1) of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. There are a few reasons for this derogation.”
“The validity of an order made under the legislation, or an alleged failure to carry out a function under the legislation, may only be challenged by way of judicial review. An application for leave to apply for judicial review must be taken within eight weeks and the applicant must have sufficient interest in the matter. Part 6 of the Bill provides for amendments to the Planning and Developments Acts. Under these amendments, Fingal County Council and An Coimisiún Pleanála are prevented from imposing a passenger cap as a condition in future planning decisions related to Dublin Airport. However, this does not apply in the case of a condition being imposed following a noise assessment by the noise regulator, ANCA, under the balanced approach and it does not apply to DAA’s live infrastructure application.”
“Once a final decision is made on DAA's infrastructure application, that decision will supersede any order made under this legislation. However, an order will remain in place through any appeal or judicial review of that planning decision and if that planning application is refused, then an order will also remain in effect. This will ensure consistency and certainty for all stakeholders while DAA's planning application proceeds through to a final planning decision. I understand from the Minister that this provision also addresses a recommendation arising from pre-legislative scrutiny for a sunset clause to be introduced. Part 5, which covers sections 27 to 35, inclusive, sets out the judicial review procedures.”
“The Minister will publish an order on his Department's website and in Iris Oifigiúil and inform Fingal County Council as the relevant planning authority. While it is critical that the passenger cap planning condition is dealt with, it will be meaningless if the infrastructure to accommodate future growth is not also put in place. Therefore, the Minister has informed me that in preparing this legislation, one of the key objectives was to protect DAA's live infrastructure application. As such, the legislation was crafted to allow the application to proceed through the planning process notwithstanding the making of an order. Section 26 sets out the effect of an order as it relates to that planning application, given that both deal with the same planning condition, that is, the 32 million passenger cap.”
“Under section 25, the Minister is empowered to make an order to amend or revoke the passenger cap where he is of the opinion that the passenger cap is causing harm to the economy of the State, international connectivity and Ireland's reputation in respect of air transport. In making an order, he will consider and take account of the outcome of the environmental assessments undertaken by the commission and he will have the power to include any conditions in an order that he deems appropriate to mitigate any impact on the environment. In consultation with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, where appropriate, the Minister can deem the conditions attached to an order as exempted development but only where they are not separately subject to environmental assessments under EU law.”