National Development Plan
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-07
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Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West

This is a pro-enterprise Government that wants to grow our economy. Critical to that is our airport and port capacity. Dublin Port's masterplan drives increased port capacity out to 2040. There is a separate wider discussion on additional east coast capacity, which I think we will require in the medium to long term in addition to Dublin Port, the capacity of which will be constrained. We need to drive its infrastructure plan efficiently.
There have been constraints and planning complexity at Dublin Airport in recent years but the work by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has ensured we lifted the cap. There is a significant capital plan for the airport, some of which is in the planning system and some of which is built out around a major programme of improvements. Ensuring the long-term viability of the airport is very much connected to its being a transatlantic hub, which requires advancing some of the more long-term plans to expand some its piers. There is a real opportunity there. With some of the operational constraints removed, the airport can really drive that delivery. The second runway, which was built during the previous Government's term, offers huge opportunities for additional growth and connectivity.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-07