GALWAY CHAMBER has warned that the Government risks entrenching regional imbalance by pressing ahead with the Dublin Airport Passenger Capacity Bill 2026 without first assessing the national and regional consequences.
The Chamber, which represents 500 businesses employing 30,000 people, says the Bill would hand the Minister for Transport exceptional powers to alter planning conditions at Dublin Airport while major national projects such as the Galway City Ring Road and key water infrastructure schemes remain subject to planning appeals and judicial reviews, resulting in indefinite timelines for approvals.
In a detailed submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, the Chamber says removing the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport in the absence of a national aviation strategy would have long‑term consequences for balanced regional development, environmental sustainability and national resilience.
The Bill would allow the Minister to change or remove existing planning conditions at Dublin Airport once an environmental assessment is completed. The Chamber argues that this approach amounts to prioritising further expansion in Dublin without examining the impact on Ireland West Airport Knock, Shannon Airport and the wider regional economy.
It warns that allowing Dublin Airport to move towards its stated ambition of 55 million passengers a year, without a comprehensive national review, would undermine the viability of regional airports and intensify pressure on housing, roads and public transport in the Greater Dublin Area. A throughput of 55 million passengers is roughly 36 times the population of the Greater Dublin Area, a scale the Chamber says is out of step with comparable European norms.
Karen Ronan, chief executive of Galway Chamber, said Ireland cannot continue to expand aviation capacity in a way that concentrates growth in one part of the country. “Ireland already has one of the most centralised aviation systems in Europe. About 83 per cent of passengers travel through Dublin Airport, while the five regional airports share the remaining 17 per cent. By supporting this Bill, the Government is contradicting its own stated policy of promoting Ireland West Airport Knock and Shannon Airport as essential international gateways that underpin balanced population growth, tourism, foreign investment and national resilience”.
She said that expanding Dublin Airport without a coordinated national strategy risks widening regional inequality and placing further strain on infrastructure that is already under pressure. The Chamber is not opposed to aviation growth, she added, but is calling for a balanced national approach that protects regional airports and supports long‑term sustainability.
Friday, 27 February, was the deadline for public, stakeholder and industry submissions to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport’s pre‑legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026.
