THE NEW NOISE regulation law which is needed to allow Dublin Airport’s new runway to be fully operational is due to be published this month. 

Transport Minister Shane Ross got Cabinet approval this week for his Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill, which designates Fingal County Council as the local authority to oversee noise levels at the airport and ensure measures are taken to limit the impact of aircraft noise on nearby residents.

The Dáil is due to debate the proposed noise regulations for Dublin Airport on Tuesday week, with the minister stating this week that he intends to have it swiftly enacted by the end of year. 

Ross said the timeline for the delivery of the new runway is on schedule and is due to be completed in early 2021.

Chief Executive of the DAA, Dalton Philips said it will lead to the creation of 31,200 new jobs and an estimated €2.2 billion in additional economic activity by 2043.

Earlier this year he said not building a third runway would be an “economic catastrophe”. 

However, some homeowners living near the airport are unhappy with the proposed plans, and fear the increase in flight numbers overhead and the impact the noise will have on their lives. 

Last year, in a bid to satisfy residents, the DAA were offering a five-year contract for consultants to research and design noise-reduction modifications for houses and schools within a certain ‘noise contour’ of the new runway.

DAA also said it will pay 30% above market value for nearly 40 houses that lie within earshot of the future runway.

Work on the new runway has already got underway following the awarding of the contract for the design and construction of the new 3.1 kilometre runway to Roadbridge & FCC Construcción last month. 

The original cost of the runway was €250 million, but is now estimated to cost €320 million. 

A Dublin Airport spokesperson explained this rise: “The original estimate for the cost of the runway was made several years ago and does not include several elements of the overall runway project which is now being delivered.

Construction inflation has also increased significantly since that original estimate. 

“The potential €320m cost of the new runway at Dublin Airport is excellent value when compared to the cost of runways that are being proposed in the south east of England as their costs run into the billions.”

Niall Gibbons of Tourism Ireland recently said that Dublin Airport has increased its traveller numbers, from 19 million passengers annually to over 31 million this year.

“It is important that a runway is built as soon as possible and that we continue to work on air access developments,” he said.