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Dublin Airport Authority

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 April 2026

Thursday, 30 April 2026

Questions (249)

Gillian Toole

Gillian Toole

Gillian Toole

Question:

249. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Transport the number of noise complaints referred by the DAA plc to AirNav Ireland in 2024 and in 2025 that received a substantive response from AirNav Ireland to the affected resident; the median time between referral by DAA and substantive response by AirNav that has been in each of those years; whether he is aware that residents who receive DAA's template response stating "The flight event will be shared to AirNav, our air navigation service provider, for further investigation" report receiving no further communication from AirNav Ireland or DAA in respect of the referred event; whether his Department has at any point enquired of AirNav Ireland on the operation of this referral process; and whether he considers a referral process in which the receiving body does not substantively respond to the affected resident consistent with Article 5 of the Aarhus Convention (collection and dissemination of environmental information) and the requirement that public authorities make environmental information "effectively accessible"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31822/26]

View answer

Written answers

Darragh O'Brien

Minister for Transport

I believe that it may be helpful to clarify from the outset the roles of individual organisations involved in this process:

• Under EU legislation, the operator of an airport, daa in the case of Dublin Airport, is responsible for the design and maintenance of Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs) which set flight paths into and out of an airport.

• AirNav Ireland carries out the design and maintenance function on behalf of daa.

• The Irish Aviation Authority, as the civil aviation safety regulator in Ireland, has responsibility for ensuring that IFPs adhere to safety standards set out in national, EU and international regulations.

• Flight paths are also monitored for compliance with noise requirements by ANCA, in line with EU Regulation 598/2014.

Regarding your queries in relation to the “the number of noise complaints referred by the DAA plc to AirNav Ireland in 2024 and in 2025 that received a substantive response from AirNav Ireland to the affected resident” and “the median time between referral by DAA and substantive response by AirNav that has been in each of those years” I have referred these parts of your parliamentary question to AirNav Ireland for direct response. Please advise my private office if you have not received a reply within 10 working days.

Regarding your queries in relation to the “DAA's template response stating "The flight event will be shared to AirNav, our air navigation service provider, for further investigation", I have referred this part of your question to the daa for direct response. Please advise my private office if you have not received a reply within 10 working days.

I can confirm that my department has not engaged with AirNav Ireland regarding the aforementioned referral process.

Each of the abovementioned bodies are independent in the performance of their statutory functions.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Orders
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