Eamon Ryan is not an idiot, says Taoiseach
Leo defends Green leader after O’Leary tirade
‘Failed to tackle issues’ ‘Concerns around noise’
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has insisted Eamon Ryan is not an idiot, after Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary called on the Transport Minister to resign.
The Taoiseach defended his Coalition colleague after Mr O’Leary yesterday called for the Green leader to go, saying he was ‘incompetent’.
It comes amid a row over plans to increase passenger number limits at Dublin Airport, which has been opposed by a number of Green Party representatives.
Mr O’Leary has called on the Transport Minister to instruct Fingal County Council to immediately lift the cap on the number of people allowed through Dublin Airport.
The number currently stands at 32 million per annum, but the DAA, operator of the airport is seeking to raise it to 40 million. Mr O’Leary said: ‘Eamon Ryan’s position as Transport Minister is untenable. He has failed to tackle any air transport issues over the last four years.
‘He has failed for four years to develop any aviation policy for Ireland, and he has now failed to take action while a number of his own Green TDs (including junior minister Joe O’Brien) and MEPs launch objections to a modest increase in the artificial traffic cap at Dublin Airport.’
He added: ‘As an island on the periphery of Europe, Ireland and Irish tourism need growth in low-cost air access, particularly when this growth is being delivered on new and more efficient aircraft, which carry more passengers but burn less fuel and reduce noise emissions as well.’
Asked if Mr Ryan was an idiot, Mr Varadkar said: ‘No, he’s not. He’s a colleague in Government who I have worked very close with, now for nearly four years. The Greens are making an impact in Government. I think this is a better Government because the Green Party is a part of it.’ He added: ‘The issue of the cap is a planning matter ultimately and will be decided by the relevant authorities.’ A number of senior Green Party members opposed the planning application for Dublin Airport this week. Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman, junior minister Joe O’Brien, TD Brian Leddin and MEP Ciarán Cuffe all submitted objections to Fingal County Council over the plans.
However, both Mr Varadkar and Jack Chambers, the junior transport minister and Fianna Fáil TD, said they were in favour of lifting the cap.
Mr Chambers said: ‘I fully support lifting the cap. It’s absolutely essential for tourism, trade, employment and our wider industrial and economic policy.
‘And that’s why we cannot have a policy of de-growth. And our National Aviation Policy is absolutely focused on making sure we’re competitive and connected as an island nation.
‘And I fully support the plan from the DAA.’
Mr Varadkar said that he had a ‘very strong view’ on the issue of raising the cap, saying he wanted to see it happen.
The Taoiseach said: ‘We shouldn’t forget that Dublin is the main gateway to Ireland. We’re an island nation. We need aviation. And if we don’t raise the cap, we’ll be turning away people, tourists, visitors, business and driving up air fares and I don’t think that would be in our interest. So I’d like to see it raised, but done in the right way.’
Minister O’Gorman said that he was ‘focused’ on the issue of ‘noise generated’ from Dublin Airport.
Asked if he supported lifting the cap on numbers passing through the airport, he said: ‘I think we need a strong focus on the development of our regional airports.
‘I think we have seen very significant growth in Dublin Airport over the last number of years and I think one of the key themes of this Government has been the idea of better, more balanced economic growth.
‘I think part of that has to be ensuring that airports around the country like Knock, like Shannon are supported to develop and allow greater development in those parts of the country.’
In his submission, Mr O’Gorman said residents in his Dublin West constituency ‘will suffer an increase’ in noise if plans to ‘sharply increase’ passenger numbers go ahead.
Mr Varadkar said it was ‘not an either or’ in relation to growing regional airports such as Knock or Shannon at the expense of Dublin Airport.
However, he added: ‘There are genuine concerns which Minister Gorman talked about, for example, which I would know from my constituents here, around noise, around flights happening at uncertain times.
‘Then there has to be an obligation on the aviation industry to step up to the mark when it comes to moving towards aircraft that are less noisy, like the newer ones, and also moving towards the use of sustainable aviation fuels.’