Michael Healy-Rae: Break Dublin Airport Cap to Grow Business

Thank you very much, Minister. You well know my views on this whole matter, because like Deputy Gillian, I'd like to think I'd be coming at this from a very, what I would call, a sound, sensible perspective. Not like the motion that we had here last week, where we had people that were against economic activity, we had people that were against building roads, we had people that were against everything that we're trying to do, again, from a common sense point of view. We need roads, we need houses. There was a word used here last week in a motion, unsustainable housing. I'd love to know what an unsustainable house is. I'd love to know why, what you're doing with Dublin Airport, why any politician could deem that it is wrong. I'd love to sit down from an economic point of view, from a bringing people into this country point of view, from a strategic point of view. When you look at people like Michael O'Leary, and I'm very glad to use Michael O'Leary's name inside this Dail in what I'd call a positive way, because usually people like him, they're usually demeaned and downgraded because of their success inside here, usually by a certain group of politicians who absolutely despise and hold a grudge against anybody who seems to create wealth, create growth, create employment. They seem to have a set against them. Now, I would like to remind people that County Kerry's airport, Farran 4, which is strategically very important to us, Michael O'Leary has continuously told us that it's money that he will make in places like Dublin Airport, allows him to provide us with the service which we have, and which we're very thankful for, and very grateful for. And while I'm at it, I'd like to put in my speak for more flights in and out of County Kerry, provided for by good people like Michael O'Leary and Ryanair, and if we could have annulled their service early in the morning, if it could be deemed financially viable to do so, we certainly would welcome it with open arms, because Farran 4 is one of the most unusual places in Ireland in that it has excellent road service, it has train, and it has an airport, and that's a great advantage to us in the heart of County Kerry. But coming back to the whole idea of what you're trying to achieve in Dublin. First of all, it's very welcome. We need to break this cap, because quite simply, we need to allow more and more business to come into this country. We need connectivity out to the airport, because it is, there's no point in being retrospective about it, Minister, but it is surprising that we don't have any other way in and out of there by rail after all of these years. But again, Rome wasn't built in a day, but I think that the way the government are going, the removal of the cap, yes of course, and I have actually met with residents from outside there who were outlining their concerns, and of course there'll always be concerns. But one of the things that always reminds me of, Minister, and I'd really like for you to take this on board, it's like the person who applies for planning permission to build a house near another person's farmyard, and when they're living in their house, then they complain about the farmyard. In other words, what was there first? Many of the estates that are built out there, the airport was there before the houses, and they knew where they were going living.