*Fingal County Council: DAA 40mill Passenger Infrastructure Application Deadline: This Wednesday, 8th January!*

 

There's a very important application in with Fingal County Council (FCC) right now that needs your attention. This 40million Passenger Infrastructure Application if approved, will affect all communities in Fingal & Meath on South Runway & North Runway. DAA submitted 12,000 pages of Significant Additional Information (SAI) and we have until this Wednesday 8th January to give our comments.

 

Case Ref: F23A/0781

*Deadline; Wednesday, 8th January by 11:59pm ONLINE or 3pm IN-PERSON*.

 

Please read all details about this application here on FCC website:

 

https://planning.agileapplications.ie/fingal/application-details/96644

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ONLINE:

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If you already made a submission (paid €20) on this case to FCC in Feb 2024, you should have received an email from FCC asking you to make a *FREE* comment/submission on the new SAI (12,000 pages) received in November.

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Email your *FREE* comment/submission by 11:59pm on Wednesday 8th January to:

 

planning.submissions@fingal.ie

 

*New submissions cost €20 and can be made online by 11:59pm on Wednesday 8th January. Click link below to start:*

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https://planning.agileapplications.ie/fingal/signIn

 

*IN-PERSON:* 

Drop your submission into Customer Service Desk or Cash Office in FCC Offices by 3pm on Wednesday 8th January.

Address: Main Street, Swords, Co.Dublin.

 

*We need as many voices from our communities across Fingal and Meath to make a submission which will allow you to be part of discussions going forward.*

 

 *More Passengers = More Flights = More Noise = More Pollution = More Sleepless Nights = More Health Problems = More Cognitive Delay & Depression in Children*

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As always, we are available to answer any of your questions by PM or email.

 

Thank you,

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SMTW FORUM 

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 32 Million Passenger Cap Reminder:

 

As the debate about the passenger cap at Dublin Airport continues to heat up across the media and political circles, we would like to remind everyone on the following:

 

 

An Bord Pleanála issued a condition of 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport in 2007 following the grant of permission for Terminal 2 and nothing to do with the North Runway.*

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WHY A CAP?

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️ Electricity Supply Concerns

️ Road Network Concerns

️ Sewerage System Concerns

️ Water Supply Concerns

️ Public Transport Concerns

️ Environmental Concerns

️ Protect Local Communities

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FAST FORWARD TO 2025!

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Even though Big Corporations, Lobbyists, and Investors are claiming the 32m passenger cap is "outdated" and a "dinosaur condition," we need to highlight today's reality in Fingal in 2025:

 

The population now living in communities around Dublin Airport has grown vastly since 2007, which means:

 

NOW IN 2025, there's an even greater demand and pressure on;

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Fingal Water Supply than in 2007

Fingal Sewerage System than in 2007

 Fingal Electricity Supply than in 2007

 Road Networks around Dublin & Dublin Airport due to the increase in population and rising car ownership than in 2007

 Public Transport System than in 2007

 Housing than in 2007

 Health Services than in 2007

 Rental Accommodation than in 2007

 Hotel Accommodation than in 2007

 Staffing than in 2007

 Climate Change & Environment around Dublin Airport than in 2007

 Flightpaths and Noise from Dublin Airport than in 2007

 Children's Health and Families living around Dublin Airport than in 2007

 Answers on PFAS, the forever chemicals discovered at Dublin Airport since 2007

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These are just some of the concerns that the local communities have regarding the lifting of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport and the challenges now in 2025.

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 KEY POINTS FOR YOUR SUBMISSION 8TH JANUARY 2025

TO FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

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**Don't forget to add your own points and concerns in your submission

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Submission on Significant Additional Information Received for Planning Application F23A/0781 to expand Dublin Airport to 40 million Passengers:

 

Dear Senior Planner,

 

 

The contents of all previous submissions remain valid and should be considered in their entirety. Despite the passage of time and the significant number of requests for further information from Fingal County Council, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has submitted documentation that remains largely unchanged and inadequate. There continues to be a lack of meaningful responses to key concerns regarding noise, traffic, and environmental impacts.

 

I strongly object to any proposed expansion without a serious and enforceable commitment to mitigating the impacts on local communities. It is simply unbelievable that a 25% increase in passenger capacity and aircraft movements will result in no additional environmental impacts, as the DAA suggests. This claim undermines the validity of their assessments and raises serious concerns about the transparency and accuracy of their environmental impact evaluations. Furthermore, DAA are currently in breach of multiple planning conditions and Fingal County Council should not consider any new applications from DAA until they adhere to their current planning.

 

 

Here are 12 Key Points based on DAA Response to Fingal County Council:

  

 1. Failure to Justify Reliance on Technological Advancements

 

The DAA’s response has failed to justify its reliance on future technological advancements to reduce noise and greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. Historical trends show the opposite, with limited improvements failing to offset increased air traffic. Yet, the DAA expects the public to believe that aircraft will become significantly quieter and less polluting. Given the DAA’s history of broken promises, this assumption is not credible and cannot form the basis of sound planning decisions.

 

 

 2. Failure to Address Noise-Related Health Impacts

 

The DAA’s application does not adequately address the significant health impacts of noise-related awakenings caused by aircraft movements, despite research highlighting links to cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbance.

 

 3. Inadequate Noise Mitigation Measures and Failure to Expand Relocation Schemes

 

Noise insulation proposals are ineffective as they do not account for realistic conditions such as open windows. The DAA has also failed to consider an expanded voluntary relocation scheme for residents in areas where noise levels are deemed unacceptable. Without such a scheme, affected communities continue to experience significant deterioration in their quality of life. Additionally, the DAA has not proposed operational restrictions, such as a movement limit, to mitigate night-time noise impacts.

 

 4. Non-Compliance with Original Flight Path Conditions

 

The current divergent flight paths deviate from those assessed in the original Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The DAA has not provided any environmental reassessment or public consultation regarding these changes.

 

 5. Failure to Present Alternatives for Flight Paths

 

Despite claims that flight paths are necessary for safety, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and AirNav Ireland confirmed that multiple safe options exist. The DAA did not assess or present alternative routes aligned with planning conditions.

 

 6. Breach of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive

 

The DAA bypassed mandatory environmental reassessment for altered flight paths, contravening EU regulations designed to safeguard communities from unassessed environmental impacts.

 

7. Traffic Congestion and Inadequate Surface Access

 

The proposal lacks credible mitigation for increased traffic congestion at key junctions, many of which are already operating beyond capacity. No effective strategy is in place to address the additional strain during the 15-year construction phase.

 

 8. Premature Expansion Without Supporting Infrastructure

 

The MetroLink, a critical infrastructure project intended to support increased passenger capacity, has not been completed. The proposal to increase capacity to 40 million passengers per annum is premature and unsustainable without it.

 

9. Insufficient Public Engagement and Transparency

 

Local communities were not consulted on flight path changes. Additionally, noise contour maps were presented in formats that were inaccessible and illegible to the public, hindering meaningful participation.

 

 

10. Climate and Environmental Impact

 

The expansion would exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions, making Dublin Airport one of the country’s largest emitters. The proposal contradicts national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

 

11. Failure to Address PFAS Contamination

 

The application does not address existing contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater, despite hydrological links to sensitive ecological sites such as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).

 

 12. Overlapping Applications Undermining Public Participation

 

The public was overwhelmed with three concurrent DAA planning applications—the Relevant Action, the Infrastructure Application, and the 36mppa application—submitted in a short timeframe over Christmas. This approach hindered fair and transparent participation, contravening the principles of the Aarhus Convention.

 

 

Please REFUSE PERMISSION for this application.

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**Don't forget to add your own points and concerns in your submission