Passengers arriving at Dublin Airport face continued disruption today as a strike by drivers enters a 2nd day.
The row centres on 70 car parking spaces that have been taken back by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).
However the DAA says that changes to parking spaces have not resulted in any net loss to drivers.
Management says they have reinstated 30 of those spaces for taxi use this morning as a good-will gesture.
August is one of the busiest months for Dublin Airport and since yesterday passengers and tourists arriving at the Airport have had to rely on public transport or private cars to get them to their destination.
It is after taxi drivers took strike action based on the decision by the DAA to reassign 70 parking spaces to airport staff.
The Irish Taxi Drivers Federation says they were not consulted but the DAA said that almost 60 new spaces were created when a new rank at Terminal 2 opened.
The President of the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation John Usher gave his verdict on the attitude of the DAA as he saw it.
“The spaces were taken away without any consultation” he said.
“We were informed a month ago they wanted them back – but they didn’t tell us they were coming in to take them in the middle of the night”.
“But how long can they continue? I was amazed”.
“Everybody is struggling out there to meet their financial commitments”.
“This is 2012, and I would rather these things were resolved around the table rather than on the street” he added.
In addition the Authority says that taxi drivers still have the same number of spaces this year as in 2010 when there were 300 more airport taxi permit holders.
Taxi drivers say they will continue their protest today.
Paul O’Kane is the Public Affairs Director of the Dublin Airport Authority.
He told Breakfast here on Newstalk that they are willing to meet.
Gina Quinn is the Chief Executive of Dublin Chamber of Commerce.
She told Breakfast that this weekend is an important one for tourism in Dublin and she is calling on all parties in the dispute to try and get it sorted.
