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5th January 2018
11:14am GMT
In an interview with The Irish Examiner, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said that the second parallel runway at Dublin Airport - due to be completed in 2020 - is value for money at €320m.
The cost of the new runway has raised the eyebrows of Transport Minister Shane Ross after its original price tag increased by €70m.
"I am satisfied that the proposed second runway is value for money and that the infrastructure meets the needs we have now,” Donohoe told the newspaper.
"It is funny, I always keep in mind the experience of Terminal 2, which holds very valuable lessons.
“Terminal 2 was built at a time when it looked like the capacity would not be utilised and the price tag for it appeared exceptionally high. If you look at where we are now, that terminal has played a crucial role in Dublin Airport becoming a hub airport and is already extremely busy."
According to Dublin Airport Authority (daa), the runway was originally meant to be built in 2007 but plans were put on hold due to the economic downturn and reduction in passengers.
Then, it was announced in 2016 that the plans would go ahead and Chief Executive of daa, Kevin Toland, said at the time that:
"Dublin Airport’s current runway infrastructure is at capacity during the peak hours and this must be addressed to enable future growth. The north runway will significantly improve Ireland’s connectivity which plays a critical role in growing passenger numbers and sustaining the future economic development of Ireland."
The addition of a new runway will hopefully mean more flights to and from the capital airport as well as saying goodbye to waiting for the runway to clear for take-off.
Great news if you're a regular flyer from there.
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