Fine Gael's transport spokeswoman this afternoon reacted angrily to the news that Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has yet to see a €3.5 million report on the viability of a second terminal at Dublin Airport.
Despite growing pressure on the Government to make a decision on the terminal, it emerged today's at a hearing of the Oireachtas Transport Committee that the report, carried out by Skidmore Owings Merrill, has yet to be read by Mr Cullen.
Fine Gael's Olivia Mitchell said she was "gobsmacked" by the news. She said she believed the report apparently recommended the terminal should not go ahead at as planned, north of the existing terminal.
"I was gobsmacked to hear that Minister Cullen has a recommendation for Cabinet on the new terminal location without seeing the Skidmore Owings Merrill report commissioned by Dublin Airport Authority," said Ms Mitchell today.
"Not only is this evidence of a breathtaking arrogance, it also smacks of total incompetence.
"The...report was commissioned specifically to provide guidance to Dublin Airport Authority on the new terminal.
"Furthermore, it apparently recommends that the Authority should not proceed with a terminal on the Authority's preferred option, to the North of the existing terminal, because it would restrict the capacity of the new terminal.
"Yet all the indications are that Minister Cullen will recommend that the new terminal should be built on these same lands," Ms Mitchell added. "It escapes me how he can reach this conclusion, or any other conclusion, without even consulting this report and without being aware of the full facts."