Sir, – It is interesting to note that the points put forward by Dómhnal Slattery and Louise O’Leary in relation to “The debate: Should the passenger cap at Dublin Airport be lifted?” (Opinion & Analysis, October 29th) ultimately conclude that the pressure to facilitate increased numbers through Dublin Airport is counter-productive.
Mr Slattery calls on the need for more constructive regional development policy to support his position while Ms O’Leary emphasises the important role the air transport industry must play in securing climate change targets and the future for our children.
I wholeheartedly agree with both positions.
There is, I would suggest, a third point to be made and this arises from the obsessions which pertain in some commercial, airline, political and other circles in the vicinity of the capital – that Dublin is the fulcrum around which all life in Ireland must evolve.
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Yes, Dublin is our capital city but, I would suggest, with some significant deficiencies. At the very least, a capital city should be able to accommodate with some degree of comfort all those who depend on it as their place of residence and work, as well as provide for the hospitality which its visitors have a right to expect. When one realises that well over 10,000 of the city’s residents are homeless; many more thousands are forced to merely exist rather than live with dignity because of the curtailments they are subjected to as a result of the exorbitant rents they have to pay; countless gardaí, teachers, nurses and others have to congest the traffic routes into the city every day because they cannot afford to live in it; city hotels are charging excruciating rates which are out of reach of most of us; and so on, why is there such a blind spot in terms of admitting that perhaps the regions have the capacity to resolve much of what needs resolving, if given the opportunity and incentive to do so?
Apart from the fact that Dublin Airport has overshot its reasonable thresholds in terms of generation of traffic and noise pollution, it is, in collaboration with others, endeavouring to negate the justifiable planning requirements of Fingal County Council.
As Dómhnal Slattery points out, both Shannon and Cork Airports have significant spare capacity, are well connected to the rest of the country infrastructurally and can strengthen the supports to existing industry, as well as attract new investment in the west and south.
There is a need for serious Government overview and leadership in this area.
The issue is very much a national one and which needs to be dealt with in that context. Powerful vested interests are entitled to their points of view but they must be considered in terms of their impact on the bigger national picture.
Dublin needs to step back – for the moment at least – so that its public infrastructure can evolve to required standards befitting of a capital city and so that pressure on residential accommodation can ease. Doing so would also contribute in a meaningful way to the balanced and sustainable future development of the country and to achievement of our climate change targets. – Yours, etc,
TOM TIERNAN,
Ennis,
Co Clare.