Passenger limits and Dublin Airport

Sir, – Further to “Passenger limits threaten to hamstring Dublin Airport and damage economy” (Business, Analysis, December 31st), the annual limit of 32 million passengers imposed on Dublin Airport by An Bord Pleanála is an extraordinary ruling that seems to have passed unnoticed at the time of its implementation. Most of us see planning as something that determines the size of buildings rather than the activity within them. If Dublin Airport can be restricted in its activity, is it possible that planning authorities might also enforce similar limits on other establishments? Can they determine that the number of customers who go into a shop or a restaurant is too large, or can they prevent a school from enrolling new pupils when they consider that the school is full? Most frightening of all, might An Bord Pleanála seek a court injunction to prevent me from having another child because my house is not big enough to cope with the extra occupancy?

The Bord Pleanála ruling on Dublin airport appears to be ultra vires, and the Government needs to act immediately to reverse it, either by using existing powers or by creating new powers. Simultaneously the Government could create incentives for airlines and passengers to use alternative airports such as Waterford, Shannon, Knock and Cork. My own local airport, Waterford, is significantly underutilised at present. – Yours, etc,

PAVEL MARIANSKI ,

Dungarvan,