The monopoly position of the Dublin Airport operator has led to complacency at the company.
That's according to former Transport Minister Shane Ross, who was speaking as the daa has until this morning to present a plan to Government for avoiding further long delays for passengers.
Some 1,000 passengers missed flights after huge queues formed at the weekend, with people left waiting hours before even entering the terminal buildings.
Mr Ross told Newstalk Breakfast a third terminal could have helped avoid such scenes.
"When I was in office I did make moves and start moves to introduce a third terminal - to give airlines and people options - so that if something like this happens that the attitude would change pretty quickly because there'd be competition.
"There's no competition whatsoever at the daa, so there's a culture there of complacency I suppose".
He believes the company needs to be scrutinised and face competitors.
"I think the Government should look at the structure, I think it should look at the way the daa is run.
Shane Ross is seen at a press conference in the OPW offices in Trim, Co Meath in December 2019. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie"There aren't very many State monopolies without any competition left, and I think that that's what should be looked at.
"The Government can't just say 'Look here, it's your fault - get on with it'.
"They should look at it and say 'Is there something wrong, is there something fundamentally wrong, with the way this company's being run?'"
'The damage has been done'
And he says even if the upcoming long weekend passes unscathed, the damage is done.
"I wouldn't feel at all calm about it and I wouldn't even think that a calm weekend will be enough.
"I mean this is absolutely appalling... I think the damage is already done.
"A thousand people being stranded in Dublin Airport is something quite sensational, we've never seen before.
"But we still don't have a prospect of getting out of it.
"I do sometimes despair when I hear the daa coming out and saying 'Look don't worry, it'll be better next weekend'.
"I think we've got a fundamental problem here, and I think the problem is something which people haven't recognised yet: the daa is a State monopoly.
"It operates under conditions which it shouldn't be operating under".
He says he has no confidence in the operating body, adding: "When I was a minister I didn't have confidence in them really as well.
"The reputational damage has been done, an appalling situation... There is no accountability".
