Clarification on Planning Application F25A/0094E

Fingal County Council wishes to provide clarification regarding recent unsolicited correspondence from daa concerning a Request for Further Information (RFI) issued on 1 April 2025 in relation to planning application (Ref. F25A/0094E), which proposes to increase Dublin Airport’s annual passenger capacity to 36 million.

The RFI was issued in line with the Council’s statutory responsibilities under the Planning and Development Acts and associated regulations. It followed a comprehensive assessment of the application by the Planning Authority, which took full account of all submissions and observations received. The associated planning report is publicly available on the Fingal County Council website.

The RFI was required after a number of substantive concerns and inconsistencies were identified within the submitted application documentation, including - but not limited to - the applicant’s variable approach to passenger counting methodologies. The request was issued to ensure that the applicant is given a fair opportunity to address these matters, that third parties are properly informed, and ensure that the Planning Authority has the necessary information to make its determination.

Fingal County Council is committed to a planning process that is lawful, robust, and transparent. The RFI forms part of a well-established statutory framework designed to uphold these principles, and to ensure that the Planning Authority has the necessary information to properly assess the proposed development including its environmental, infrastructure, and public transport implications.

The Council received correspondence from daa, dated 10 April 2025, in which the applicant objects to elements of the RFI. However, the Council views the approach taken in that letter as inappropriate and outside the bounds of the statutory planning process. Efforts to influence or alter the RFI through non-statutory correspondence raises serious concerns about procedural integrity and risks undermining confidence in the fairness of the process - particularly for third parties and members of the public who engaged with the application in good faith and in accordance with planning law. The appropriate and lawful method for addressing the RFI is through a formal response as provided for under planning legislation.

The Planning Authority formally responded to daa on 28 April 2025 and confirmed that it does not accept the assertions contained in their letter dated 10 April 2025. The Council does not consider it appropriate to withdraw any element of the RFI, nor is there any process for doing so.  

All correspondence relating to the application has been placed on the public planning file. The planning application will continue to be assessed in accordance with applicable planning legislation, the Fingal Development Plan, national and regional policies, and the principles of proper planning and sustainable development.

Fingal County Council is firmly committed to maintaining independence, fairness, and transparency in the exercise of its planning functions.