Emergency marquee at Dublin Airport should get immediate planning permission – Mitchell

Terrorist threat will disrupt services from Dublin for foreseeable future

Fingal County Council should grant immediate planning permission for the emergency marquee at Dublin Airport which is likely to face months of overcrowding and delays following the air terror alert, Fine Gael Transport Spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell TD has said.

Deputy Mitchell also called for UK and US-bound flights to have a separate security channel at the airport during the heightened security alert.

“The new terror alert in air travel is likely to cause serious disruptions at Dublin Airport for many months to come. The airport already suffers from overcrowding on a regular basis. In the light of this new crisis, Fingal County Council should grant immediate planning permission for the marquee at Dublin Airport.

“Dublin Airport should also consider providing a separate security channel to screen passengers travelling to the UK and the US, given that these two destinations have been placed on maximum security alert. This would allow more intensive screening of passengers bound for the UK and the US, while freeing up passengers travelling to other destinations.

“It is a serious thing to bypass the planning process but this is a very serious situation. Clearly any measure which can deal with ongoing overcrowding at Dublin Airport must now be implemented. The marquee will prove necessary for health and safety purposes as well as for passengers’ comfort and security.

“Fingal County Council has sought further information on the marquee, but I would urge them to now reconsider and fast-track a decision. The original purpose of the marquee was to provide accommodation in an emergency where a number of flights have been delayed or another airport has been closed. This is precisely that sort of situation.

“This new terror alert is not a once-off development, and will have an impact on Dublin airport for the foreseeable future. Fingal County Council should take account of this international crisis and short circuit the planning system for the marquee which is, after all, a temporary solution.”