Minister for Transport Martin Cullen expressed strong opposition to two competing airport terminals.
"Where it has been tried, it was an abject failure ultimately resulting in the State buying back the terminal at an exorbitant cost." He was replying to questions on the provision of a second terminal in Dublin airport.
Asked by Labour transport spokeswoman Roisin Shortall why the Cabinet was considering the issue, Mr Cullen said: "Views have been expressed and questions have been asked. People are entitled to ask legitimate questions about many issues, which I have no difficulty with."
He said he had spent every day for the past number of months dealing with the issue. "I am on solid footing when I say I agree with the deputy that I cannot find an example of the type she has enunciated today anywhere in the world, which I have stated publicly."
Ms Shortall remarked: "Then it is a flawed concept." She said the battle taking place inside the Cabinet in recent months was nonsense, given that there were no successful competing terminals.
Mr Cullen said all he could do was make a judgment call on the basis that, where it was tried, it was an abject failure with charges being four times higher in the privately-run facility and the State eventually buying it back.
"Of the 13 expressions of interest, one that was submitted by an airline argued against the concept of an independent or competing terminal, only five could be regarded as clear in terms of concept and location and none gave clear answers regarding the financial and economic dimensions of such a proposal." Mr Cullen said only one gave a suggestion of a landing charge, which was in the order of €8.50 in comparison with the €4.90 charge in Dublin airport at present. "So much for this type of competition."
Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said the only issue which mattered was that Dublin could compete with other capital city airports and not just within Ireland.
"This is the type of competition we need and the type we must face up to. What matters is getting the right site that is big enough to give us growth capacity and not who owns it. The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) must go out and search for business. It has had it so easy as business has come to it, but it has made no effort to accommodate this business over the past 10 years." Mr Cullen said it was a matter for the DAA to choose a site. "I have no evidence that suggests the authority, as a new body of fine people and many of whom are experts in this area, will knowingly do something that is not in the interests of Irish aviation, airlines and passengers."
He said that on behalf of the Government, he was the guardian of the taxpayers' investment in the facility, which was one of the key strategic pieces of infrastructure in the country.
"The airport should be in State hands. I have not seen evidence from any other country to suggest otherwise and I want to progress on this basis."
