Travel professionals from across the island of Ireland has welcomed the agreement from the Republic of Ireland Cabinet for prioritising the drafting of the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026. Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien secured the agreement, providing him with the power to address the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
In a government statement, Mr O’Brien said,
“This Government recognises the strategic importance of Dublin Airport as our primary international gateway and the vital role it plays in supporting economic growth, connectivity and jobs across the State. I received Government agreement for the publication of the General Scheme, which sets out the legislative approach to address the passenger cap. This represents the first concrete step in delivering on the commitment set out in the Programme for Government. I will now engage with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport to progress pre-legislative scrutiny and advance the formal drafting of the Bill.”
The permission allows the Minister for Transport to make an order to amend or revoke the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport, something many airlines and travel agencies have been calling for since travel demand increased after the covid pandemic. In advance of making an order, the Minister will engage with An Coimisiún Pleanála who will carry out any relevant assessments required under EU law.
daa is also progressing the ‘infrastructure application’ alongside the minister of transport’s legislation, seeking permission to raise the passenger cap and to develop several capacity-enhancing projects.
With the bill now prioritised, Minister O’Brien has confirmed he is working to allow the bill to pass through the Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as possible.
“daa strongly welcomes the decisive action being taken by Government to resolve the cap issue once and for all. Together with daa’s €2bn plan to future-proof Dublin Airport’s infrastructure, the move to remove the outdated cap artificially restricting growth at Dublin Airport is good news for Ireland. As a small island nation, global connectivity is crucial to our economic prosperity and to sustain jobs and investment across the country. Standing still as our population grows and other cities and countries compete to draw flights and destinations away from Dublin would be an own goal.” says daa.
The Irish Travel Agents Association has welcomed the announcement, with Clare Dunne, CEO of the Irish Travel Agents Association, saying:
“Lifting the Dublin Airport passenger cap will provide a good opportunity for airlines to expand services into Ireland and for new connectivity from airlines who are not yet flying into Ireland. This in turn provides new destinations for both holidays makers and business travellers. The ITAA look forward to seeing this proposal enacted as soon as possible.”
