The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has been given the green light to build a €600 million second terminal on its site at Collinstown, Co Dublin.
Fingal County Council today granted planning permission for the major building project and the Government has already set autumn 2009 as the target date for the opening of the new terminal.
The total cost of the entire programme at current prices is just over €600m, while the terminal itself will cost just under €400m.
Declan Collier, chief executive, Dublin Airport Authority
Fingal County Council granted the planning application with some 43 conditions attached, including the proviso that the current upgrading work on the M50 motorway be "substantially completed" prior to the opening of the new terminal.
The Dublin Airport Authority must also submit a detailed plan for the future growth of the airport in the year in which a capacity of 30 million passengers is reached.
Fingal County Council also imposed a condition that the DAA must consult with the Railway Procurement Agency on the technical requirements for the planned metro line to the airport.
And the DAA must also pay the sum of €12,574,240 to the local authority as a contribution towards Fingal County Council's costs for upgrading public infrastructure needed for the development.
Construction work on the new terminal will only be allowed between the hours of 7am and 7pm on weekdays and between 8am and 1pm on Saturdays.
No work will be allowed on Sundays or public holidays.
Some 28 individuals and companies submitted objections to the 75,000 sq m facility, including Ryanair and businessman Ulick McEvaddy's Dublin Airport Terminal 2 group. Both Ryanair and Mr McEvaddy had expressed interest in building a second terminal themselves.
Most of the remaining objections came from local residents, some of whom oppose the expansion of the airport on grounds of noise pollution and traffic congestion in the vicinity. Residents in nearby Portmarnock have also opposed the construction of a new runway at Dublin airport, claiming their lives have been disrupted by the noise of aircraft flying into and out of Dublin airport.
Objectors may yet appeal today's decision by Fingal County Council to An Bord Pleanála. It is also possible that potential private developers of an alternative terminal could take a court challenge to the Dublin Airport Authority plans.
Some 20 million passengers are expected to use Dublin airport this year. The DAA's development programme includes Terminal 2, two new piers, D and E and an extension to the existing Pier A.
Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) chief executive Declan Collier welcomed the decision.
"We are delighted that our plans to transform Dublin Airport have cleared the first hurdle in the planning process," he said.
"We will now study the decision in detail before making any further comment on the specifics of the planning permission that has been received."
Mr Collier said the planning processs in Ireland is a democratic one and that stakeholders are entitled to their views on infrastructure development.
"But we hope that if there are appeals to this decision, the appeal process moves ahead as swiftly as possible in the interests of all the users of Dublin Airport."
"T2 is a critical part of Ireland's transport infrastructure and the DAA is working to an extremely tight timeline to deliver the new capacity that Dublin Airport so badly needs."