Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has been invited to a barbecue and a sleep over to see exactly how bad the noise is for those living near Dublin airports new runway.
The DAA, which operates Dublin Airport, was last month hit by an enforcement notice from Fingal County Council regarding the use of the new runway there.
A planning condition attached to the runway limits the total number of flights at Dublin Airport to 65 between 11pm and 7am. But the airport already handles more than that during the time period.
The airport operator successfully secured leave from the High Court to apply for a judicial review in the case and secured a stay on Fingal’s enforcement order.
After last weeks Ryanair AGM O’Leary said he had no sympathy for campaigners who live close to the airport.
He claimed, ‘“It means that now there’s less flights between the hours of 6 o’clock and 7 o’clock in the morning with two runways than there was when there was only one runway.
‘It’s a nonsense planning condition. It should be amended. If you want to reduce noise at Dublin Airport, it should be done by measuring noise, not restricting the number of flights.’
Now Joe Bonner an independent member of Meath council, based in Ashbourne where many affected by the noise has invited the Ryanair chief to come down and see for himself how bad things are.
He said, ‘ If Michael gets in touch with me we will host the last barbecue of the summer and he can have a few cans of whatever he drinks and we will make sure he has a bed for the night.
‘Now I’d have to warn him he might not sleep too well as the noise from planes arriving and departing can shake the houses around here, but at least if he spends the night down here he might better understand the issue.
‘We are not asking for anything other than the Dublin Airport Authority stick to the rules and adhere to the planning conditions that are in place.
‘Michael portrays himself as a man of the people so this is his opportunity to show that.
‘At the moment we could still spark up the barbecue but if he’d prefer he could wait a few weeks and we’ll host him at a Halloween bonfire, just so he will better understand local anger.’
Cllr Joe Bonner, independent.
