Fingal County Council has issued an enforcement notice to Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) requiring the authority to comply with planning conditions relating to a 'passenger cap' at Dublin Airport.

The local authority has written to DAA over what it said was a breach of planning conditions imposed by An Bord Pleanála.

The Dublin Airport passenger cap has proved controversial, with aviation sector stakeholders wanting to see the cap increased or removed altogether, and DAA applying to have the cap increased by 8 million people, or 25% higher than its current figure of 32 million.

However, many environmental stakeholders, as well as farm organisations, have suggested that this would not be in line with environmental targets, with the farm organisation believing the move would be unfair given the climate-related restrictions on farming.

A spokesperson for Fingal County Council said today (Friday, June 20): "The two-year period provides an opportunity for DAA to progress its planning applications to increase passenger capacity at Dublin Airport, or take such other steps as they consider appropriate to achieve compliance."

The conditions were attached to planning permissions granted in 2008 for the construction of Terminal 2 and the extension of Terminal 1, and "clearly stated" that the combined capacity of both terminals must not exceed 32 million passengers per annum.

In response to complaints received alleging that the conditions were breached in 2023 and 2024, Fingal County Council, as the relevant planning authority, initiated a formal investigation to assess compliance with the conditions.

A warning letter was issued to DAA, providing them with an opportunity to respond, which they did.

Fingal County Council said it acknowledges the "operational complexities", but that information provided by DAA does not constitute sufficient grounds to prevent further action.

The investigation has determined that a breach of relevant planning conditions has occurred and remains ongoing.

The county council said that, in accordance with its legal obligations as the planning authority, it issued an enforcement notice under section 154 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

DAA has been given two years to bring its operations into compliance.

The efforts to increase the Dublin Airport passenger cap has proven controversial with the farming community and farmer representatives.

In early 2024, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), as part of a wider nationwide campaign of protests known as 'Enough is Enough', protested against the proposed increase.

Speaking at a protest in February 2024 at Cork Airport (which is also run by DAA), Cork Central IFA chairperson Mathew Hurley said the aim of the protest was to highlight “the unfairness” of Dublin Airport seeking to grow passenger numbers by 25%, while farmers must cut their emissions by the same amount.

Also in early 2024, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) said that any suggestion of lifting the cap on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport without referencing increased emissions would be “surreal”.

ICMSA president Denis Drennan said at the time that farmers, and the country’s multi-billion euro dairy processing sector, will be closely watching the government’s reaction to the "campaign" to increase passenger numbers at Dublin Airport.