Dublin Airport operator DAA has said it is "bewildered and baffled" after Fingal County Council ruled its application to increase their passenger cap was "invalid".

The airport's application to increase their annual passenger capacity to 36-million passengers was rejected by Fingal County Council yesterday.

In a statement, Fingal County Council said the application failed to comply with three articles of the Planning and Development regulations.

Additionally, the Council said the DAA's proposed description of the development in the public notices is "non-compliant with the relevant regulations" and is "inadequate and misleading".

"It is a matter of great concern to the Planning Authority that such a significant planning application is invalid," the statement said.

"Pre-planning is available to assist applicants but did not take place for this application."

C6HPA7 Terminal 2 Dublin Airport Ireland

In response, the DAA described this decision as a "bizarre flip-flop by Fingal County Council".

"Fingal County Council’s planners twice confirmed the validity of DAA’s ‘no build’ application on 23 December and again on 6 January – yet this evening sent out a media statement saying it was invalid," a statement issued last night read.

"DAA lodged this straightforward ‘no build’ application to provide a short-term solution to the planning cap impasse but Fingal County Council refuses to be pragmatic about this issue of national importance, despite allowing for 40 million in its own development plan.

"This ‘Snakes and Ladders’ approach to planning shows why decisions about Dublin Airport should be made at a national level by An Bord Pleanála and not locally by Fingal County Council."

Legal process

Currently, the airport can cater for 32-million passengers annually.

Previously, outgoing Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said it would not be appropriate for him to intervene into the passenger cap debate.

Mr Ryan said the matter is a "legal process" and a decision for Fingal County Council.

However, other members of the Green Party, such as former MEP Ciarán Cuffe, have opposed raising it because of their concern about its impact on carbon emissions.

Feature image: Dublin Airport, Alamy