Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026: Second Stage Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-01 ============================================================ Joanne Collins (SF), Agricultural Panel If the Government wants public confidence in this legislation then meaningful engagement with local residents cannot be optional and must be built into the legislation. That is why Sinn Féin will bring forward amendments that require meaningful consultation with local community groups, and the strengthening of community mitigation and compensation measures. Second, the Bill raises important questions about ministerial powers. While we recognise that the Government needs a mechanism to address an outdated passenger cap, the legislation must clearly define the scope of those powers. The Minister's authority should be confined to dealing with the passenger cap capacity issue alone and should not become a mechanism for overriding broader planning protections or creating uncertainty about future planning decisions. We intend to examine these provisions carefully and bring forward amendments to ensure that the legislation is proportionate, transparent and respects proper planning processes, and the independence of the relevant authorities. Third, we cannot discuss Dublin Airport in isolation. The Government continues to speak about balanced regional development while allowing Dublin Airport to dominate aviation policy. Nearly nine out of ten passengers who travel through airports in this State travel through Dublin Airport. Meanwhile, airports like Shannon, Cork, Kerry, Knock and Waterford continue to receive piecemeal support instead of the strategic investment needed to unlock their full potential. Shannon Airport has increased its passenger numbers year on year over the last couple of years, which is great, but we need to encourage more airlines to fly out of regional airports. Galway no longer has commercial services. Sligo has no commercial passenger operation. Waterford has struggled for years to secure the investment necessary to restore its scheduled service. If the Government is serious about balanced regional development then regional airports must become economic drivers in their own right supported by investment in infrastructure, route development and integrated transport links. We also need to recognise the all-island dimension of aviation. Brexit has demonstrated the vulnerability of our transport links. The disruption at Holyhead showed how quickly our supply chain can come under pressure. Therefore, our aviation strategy should look beyond Dublin and consider how airports across the island can complement one another, improve reliance and strengthen connectivity for people, and businesses, both North and South. Tourism deserves a mention. Almost one in ten jobs across the island depend on tourism, yet international visitor numbers and visitor spending declined last year. At a time when many hospitality workers continue to struggle with low pay and rising living costs, we need policies that strengthen rather than weaken Ireland's attractiveness as a destination. Strong aviation links are central to that. Sinn Féin supports removing the passenger cap that has become outdated and no longer serves Ireland's interests. We also believe that growth must be properly planned and respect local communities. We need correct and balanced regional development when it comes to aviation. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-01/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:08+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-07-01