If the Government allows an increase in the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, it will be a “shameless double standard” to farmers, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) Denis Drennan has said.

The ICMSA president made the comments in response to a planning application by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to Fingal County Council to increase the passenger cap at Dublin Airport from 32m to 40m.

He said at the ICMSA AGM last December, farmers raised the double standards they face.

“Irish State policy would have the butter, [milk] powder and cheese exports out of Tipperary and Cork cut through the culling of their [farmers’] cows, but stag and hen parties out of Dublin are not just left alone, but actually encouraged to increase through this shameless double standard.

“Today’s reports that Aer Lingus and the DAA are pushing for the lifting of the passenger cap shows that surreal scenario is a step closer,” Drennan said.

It was reported by the Irish Times that Aer Lingus commissioned a report which said every million passengers the airport loses costs the Irish economy €1.4bn and 37,000 jobs.

Drennan said there was an “obviously lavishly funded PR campaign” to get the passenger cap on Dublin Airport increased.

Derogation cut

Drennan said the case was made by Aer Lingus and the DAA that retaining the current passenger limit was going to cost the economy both in jobs and revenue and that exactly the same argument had been made, with much greater justification, for maintaining the nitrates derogation at 250kg N/ha.

The Government must see, he added, that it would be impossible for them to allow an increase in passengers at Dublin Airport, while requiring food to be produced with fewer emissions.

“We’ll be watching this like hawks.

“It’s going to be very interesting to see whether, for instance, Minister [for the Environment Eamon] Ryan will be as forthright in his analysis of this actually non-essential application as he appeared to be when [the] ICMSA and others set out the case for maintaining our dairy sector – widely considered to be the best and most sustainable in the world.

“Similarly, we have every right to expect an announcement from Minister [for Agriculture Charlie] McConalogue that he will veto any such lifting of the passenger cap on grounds of consistency and equality,” Drennan said.