The Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, is expected to bring proposals to Cabinet early in the new year to allow the development of a second terminal at Dublin airport.
Sources close to the Minister told The Irish Times that the first issue the Cabinet would be asked to decide on was whether a second terminal at the country's busiest airport was required.
The issue of who exactly should operate any new facility would be taken later.
Around 15 separate groups have expressed an interest in developing a second terminal at the airport. Recently the trade union SIPTU indicated that its members would consider investing in such a new facility.
The Government will have to decide whether to seek one company to design, build and operate a new facility or whether to separate the process, with one group constructing the terminal and another running it. Either way it is expected that it will take several years for a new facility to be ready. The Minister for Arts, Tourism and Sport , Mr O'Donoghue, told The Irish Times last week that his Department supported the development of a second terminal at Dublin airport. He also believed that his colleague, Mr Cullen, was "sympathetic" to the project.
Ryanair chief executive, Mr Michael O'Leary, has said his company would base 10 aircraft at Dublin airport and open up around 20 new routes to Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Scandinavia if a new terminal was developed.
It has also been speculated that other low cost operators such as Easy Jet would develop services out of Dublin in the event of the second terminal being developed.
Ryanair is set to oppose the involvement of SIPTU in the running of any new terminal.Sources said that the Minister considered the terminal to be a very important issue and was one he wanted to deal with.
