Ross urged to reconsider airport noise regulator 

MINISTER for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, has been urged to reconsider the appointment of Fingal County Council as the noise regulator for Dublin Airport. 

Northside TD Brendan Ryan, Labour’s spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport, made the call while suggesting that there may be “potential for a conflict of interest at some point into the future”.  

“The issue at hand here is that there is a commercial relationship between Fingal County Council and the Dublin Airport Authority (daa),” said Deputy Ryan. 

“In fact, the daa is the single biggest rate payer to Fingal County Council. I just want to make it clear, I am not questioning any abilities of Fingal County Council or indeed its relationship with Dublin Airport Authority. I am just stating that there is indeed a relationship. It’s is an important one and it is commercial in nature and by appointing them noise regulator, there is a potential for a conflict of interest at some point into the future.”

According to the Dublin Fingal TD, Minister Ross said “he could see the point I was making about a conflict”. 

“But he (Minister Ross) said it was not of huge significance as the rates paid by the Dublin Airport Authority to Fingal County Council only account for 8 per cent of the council’s income,” said Deputy Ryan.

“I found this totally astonishing. To think that nearly one tenth of all income for a Local Authority comes from one source proves the opposite point to what the Minister was trying to make. It demonstrates just how dependent Fingal County Council is on the daa for income and in turn highlights the potential for conflict of interest. I strongly asked the Minister to reconsider this decision.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport told Northside People: “As the Minister (Ross) explained in the Dáil to Deputy Ryan, local authorities have well established statutory-based regulatory and enforcement functions in relation to environmental quality, planning, enforcement and other areas that necessarily sit alongside their rateable income collection function.  

“The Minister is strongly of the view that it is an undeserved criticism to imply that local authorities, and in this instance, Fingal County Council, have a conflict of interest between their statutory regulatory environmental protection and enforcement responsibilities and their wider economic and physical development roles.

“The payment of commercial rates is not a commercial relationship any more than the payment of any tax.”

The spokesperson said Minister Ross has also outlined to the Dáil that Fingal County Council’s role as Airport Noise Regulator for Dublin Airport will be governed by EU Regulation and primary legislation enacted by the Dáil.  

“This will provide a strong, transparent and fair regulatory framework, and will include provision for a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála,” he added.