Protesters say airport flight plans are “ruining Christmas”

Protesters gathered outside a meeting between Dublin Airport boss Kenny Jacobs and Fingal County Council.

Over 250 people attended the protest, with crowds loudly chanting ‘Wrong Way DAA’.

Protesters said that the Dublin Airport Authority is pushing ahead with flight plans that cause significant noise pollution for 30,000 people in north County Dublin and Meath.

The protesters said that “another Christmas will be ruined” by the noise produced by the airport.

One protester told Newstalk that he and his family can’t sleep because of the noise of the planes.

“This time last year they ruined our Christmas,” he said.

“The noise levels now are disgraceful; I was awakened at 4.30 this morning and then it really started at 7 o’clock.”

“During the summer we couldn’t stay in our back gardens, we couldn’t have a conversation in the back garden; if a neighbour from hell moved in beside me he’d be arrested.”

North Runway Technical Group, a group of people who live 4 and 10km north of the new runway at Dublin Airport say they are “striving to produce factual information about the north runway as well as proposing some operating changes are simple to make, will increase runway capacity, and bring daa into compliance with their planning permission.”

The group alleges that the daa is “trying to pull a fast one” concerning new flight plans and state that they are not sticking to the flight path that was set out in 2007 by An Bord Pleanála.

“They (daa) hope ABP won’t notice this and will grant de facto retention to the current illegal flight paths just like Fingal County Council did,” a statement from the group read.

Independent Councillor Cathal Boland said that the meeting was “relatively short and professional” but told the Northside People that “there is a lack of confidence and trust among the public and the airport.”

While there were “no new revelations” at the meeting regarding Dublin Airport’s plans, Boland said that there was a “full and frank exchange of views at the meeting.”

“I expressed this at the meeting that the team at Dublin Airport are not communicating with residents and it is causing a breakdown in trust.”

“All I’m asking is that Dublin Airport treats the community with a bit more respect than they are showing now.”

A letter written by North Runway Technical Group addressed to local representatives and seen by Northside People reads “when the runway opened one of the initial flight paths was over Fingal. That is the only flight path acknowledged by daa as a mistake and they’re very sorry; they fixed it quickly. They fixed it by moving it over the border into Meath where no consultation has ever occurred.”

“All the illegal flight paths over Meath are described by Kenny Jacobs, daa CEO, as “intended”. Was this the deal for Fingal County Council to grant the relevant action and remove the night flight limits?”

“In short Fingal County Council pulled a massive NIMBY at the county level in granting the relevant action as long as the flight paths are in Meath. The Executive of Meath County Council, having been made fools of by Fingal, persists in claiming this is strictly a Fingal planning issue and it is not their problem. ABP should not allow daa and AirNav to persist in causing damage to citizens when a solution is possible.”

Dublin Airport boss Kenny Jacobs has been bullish in recent weeks about the need for the airport to raise the cap on passengers and told RTÉ’s Prime Time programme in October that Dublin Airport were being “good neighbours” and were willing to engage with the local community.

Serena Taylor, a local Meath resident who attended the protest, is a former Trinity graduate and medical physicist by profession who has held previous clinical roles in both the fields of Sleep and Respiratory Medicine.

Coming from this background she said she is “acutely aware” of the health, and said that local communities were suffering from sleep arousals and awakenings.

“Many people will not even be aware that aircraft noise is disturbing their sleep quality, but over time there will be a decline in overall health and wellbeing. I would be concerned for all those living in close proximity to Dublin Airport and in particular, those who live within a 10-mile radius,” she told Northside People.

“Aside from noise, air quality is a real issue and aviation emissions can travel easily in the wind and land at anyone’s doorstep. Aircraft emissions contain large amounts of nano-sized particles, which are particularly prone to reach the lower airways upon inhalation.”

“The Environmental Impact Assessment Report attached to the grant of planning permission for the North Runway clearly showed that my home would never be impacted by significant noise, the noise contours clearly demonstrated this, aside from myself other people made life-altering decisions on the basis of that report.”

“The daa cannot be allowed to manipulate and muddy the waters at this late stage. It would make a mockery of the whole planning system in the country. They must follow the planning permission granted.”

She said the main issue for people at the protest is the current operational flight paths and the impact that these are having on people not being able to sleep in their own homes and enjoy their own homes.

“It looks very clearly to me as a case of profits over people and it requires immediate intervention by Government.”