LAST UPDATE | 13 Dec 2022

THE PUBLIC NEEDS assurances that they will not face disruption at Dublin Airport over the Christmas period, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald said today.

She began Leaders’ Questions by first wishing Micheál Martin well into the future, stating that it would be their last exchange with him as Taoiseach. 

Martin and Leo Varadkar are due to rotate roles on Saturday. 

She said people’s travel plans have been thrown into chaos, stating that airport users have told stories of being “sent from pillar to post” when seeking information following the cancellation of their flights.

McDonald said she accepts that there have been some knock-on effects from disruption at other airports, but said one cannot shy away that once again there has been a real failure to prepare at Dublin Airport. “And there has not been a word from the Minister for Transport, Deputy Éamon Ryan,” she said.

Martin said that it is the cold weather that is to blame for the disruption. When references were made to Ryan being “asleep at the wheel”, Martin said he had been sitting next to Ryan at meetings about it, reassuring her that “he’s wide awake”.

“Could I reassure the deputy that Eamon Ryan is not asleep… he is anything but fast asleep at this particular juncture,” he said. He said a meeting with the DAA has taken place.

Issues with the DAA “do need to be followed through with the authority,” said Martin.

“We need to make sure that capacity exists within the Dublin Airport Authority in terms of de-icing and preparing for extreme weather events to make sure that key connectivity through aviation is maintained. State agencies are established by law, they are resourced and people are appointed to senior positions.

“There is an obligation on the agencies to be prepared and respond to situations such as this. That said, Dublin Airport is not the only airport that has had challenges through this period. Manchester Airport has had challenges and Heathrow Airport has had significant challenges, some of which have spilled over to Dublin Airport,” he said.

Airport response

This evening, the daa responded to the criticisms made in the Dáil.

The daa Chairman Basil Geoghegan said that “notwithstanding current sub-zero temperatures” Dublin Airport’s Winter Readiness Plans has meant that all runways and taxiways at Dublin Airport have “remained open and fully operational throughout”.  

He added: “Whilst flight cancellations and delays over recent days relate to difficulties encountered by individual airlines de-icing their own aircraft or airports being closed in the UK, the Taoiseach made an important point today about the need for winter resilience.

“Such operational resilience is ultimately reliant on ensuring an appropriate regulatory and financial framework that recognises the critical role Dublin and Cork airports play in the Irish economy and global connectivity.”

Flight disruptions 

The cold weather has been causing further travel disruption today as flights in and out of the country, in particular to and from the UK, have been cancelled and delayed. 

In a statement given this morning, Dublin Airport said that it is “open and fully operational.” 

“Weather disruption in the UK continues to impact on flight schedules, with 8 outbound flights & 10 inbound flights cancelled so far. Passengers due to fly are advised to contact their airline for info regarding their flight,” the statement further read. 

A Status yellow freezing fog warning is in place for the Northern half of the country today while a status yellow low temperature/ ice warning remains in place for the entire country for the rest of the week. 

None of the flights in or out of both Cork and Shannon Airports appear to have been cancelled today as of yet. Passengers can check the status of their flight online. 

Ryanair has issued a warning on long security queues in Dublin Airport Terminal One has they say only 9 of the 15 security lanes were open at 5am. 

Update for pax travelling through @DublinAirport pic.twitter.com/0QLSusZPfE

— Ryanair (@Ryanair) December 13, 2022

The UK is currently experiencing even colder weather than Ireland in places, as the temperature has dropped below -10 degrees in rural parts of Scotland. 

There has been snowfall and ice across the country, including in London, as a Level 3 Amber warning is in place for the whole of England, as temperatures are expected to struggle to climb above freezing in parts of the country. 

London right now turning into a snowy wonderland pic.twitter.com/LlP5BKLuWV

— Scott Duncan (@ScottDuncanWX) December 11, 2022

The 7:10am flight to London Heathrow from Dublin Airport was cancelled, and the 8:50am flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport has also been shelved. 

Later today the 3:55pm flight to London Gatwick out of London has been cancelled, as well as the 16:45pm flight to Barcelona. 

Cancellations will go into this evening, with the 7:45pm flight to London Stanstead having already been called off. 

Some flights to the UK have not yet been cancelled and are still scheduled as normal, but passengers are advised to check in with their airline to get the latest updates on any booked journeys. 

The next four flights to arrive at Dublin Airport are delayed, and passengers can expect delays throughout the course of the day. 

The 11:55am flight due in from Milan has been cancelled, as well as the 12:35pm inbound flight from Warsaw, the 12:50pm flight from Krakow, and the 15:55 flight that was due to come in from London City Airport.

Irish Rail has said that a full schedule is planned to operate as normal, although several delays have been experienced already today. 

Good morning. We will be online throughout the day with updates on services until 21:00hrs this evening. A full schedule is planned to operate 🚂. Fáilte romhat ar maidin. -CL

Please remember that the wearing of face coverings is advised on public transport. pic.twitter.com/QK5I30YAmT

— Iarnród Éireann (@IrishRail) December 13, 2022

 Bus Éireann have had to cancel multiple services so far this morning as road conditions are making it difficult to tackle adverse road conditions in some places. 

 Passengers are advised to check for updates before setting out for planned travel.  

With reporting by Christina Finn