The Minister for Transport has said that Dublin Airport’s passenger cap “does not serve the State well” and “does not serve the people of the region well”.

Darragh O’Brien was speaking as the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026 to remove the 32-million cap was heard at a second stage in the Dáil.

The restriction was a condition in a 2007 planning permission.

Mr O’Brien said future ministers will be able to raise the passenger cap further with the new legislation and the bill will allow for the continued development of Dublin Airport “while balancing the rights of residents”.

He said that the airport is of “strategic importance” with over 36 million passengers passing through last year and if the passenger cap was enforced, it would result in the “immediate cut of over four million passengers per annum”.

The cap would stifle growth and have a negative effect on international business and tourism, the minister said, adding that the airport provides 130,000 direct and indirect jobs and that airlines need certainty to plan ahead.

Mr O’Brien told the Dáil that Ireland’s reputation would also be affected if “capacity is restricted at our main international gateway”.

The Dáil was told the legislation will also ensure that any environmental impact is independently assessed and that it represents the “most balanced way” forward.

Passenger cap is outdate, says Sinn Féin TD

Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly said Dublin Airport is being “constrained by a rule that no longer makes sense”.
He said the cap is “outdated and out of step with reality”.

However, he said the Government’s response should not be given a carte blanche.

He said the Bill must engage with the “fact that local communities have felt ignored and overlooked for years”.

He also accused Government of ignoring the potential of regional airports, saying “not all runways lead to Dublin”.

Meanwhile, Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly said the impact aviation has on climate must be at the forefront of any expansion as aviation accounts for 2.5% of global carbon emissions and 14% of global carbon emissions.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath said the passenger cap should be lifted and other airports should be promoted.

Speaking in the Dáil, he said that Cork and Shannon airports are not getting balanced supports. He also said that other airports should be promoted instead of “overloading” Dublin Airport.

Passengers face more stressful journeys to the airport and more expensive car parking, he added.

‘An anti-climate bill’

Labour TD Ciarán Ahern said the bill is “an aggressively anti-climate bill,” and the Government is making it clear that environmental or biodiversity considerations have no place when it comes to our aviation policy.

He said it is the third bill seeking “to disapply the Climate Bill this week,” and scrapping the cap means more flights, more pollution and higher emissions when Ireland is already off track with its emissions.

People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger said we should be reducing flights and not increasing them “in any way shape or form”.

She said the climate does not matter to the Government and she also said it goes against balanced regional development.

Ms Coppinger also said that airport noise in the Fingal area leads to an awful lot health issues.

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman said that the bill was one-sided in its focus and ignores all but one set of stakeholders.

He said it undermines the “signature” Climate Act, and raising the passenger cap by eight million will increase emissions by 24%, yet the minister said that he wants to double the number of people going through the airport.

Mr O’Gorman said that local residents are already severely impacted by current levels of activity at Dublin Airport and this proposal will introduce “potentially limitless increases” in flights.

The bill was passed by the House and will be further debated through its final stages next week.