Dublin Airport exploring ‘all avenues’ to increase car parking for holidaymakers

Passengers are being encouraged to use public transport, where possible, as all car parks remain sold out over the coming days.

There have been calls to reopen a nearby car park that has been empty for years on a short-term basis to help resolve the crisis.

Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny called on the daa and the owner of the car park “to come to a short-term leasing agreement”.

“I’m aware that an offer was made by daa to purchase a car park which is being considered by the competition authority,” he said.

“However, while this consideration takes place, we have people left without the very basic amenity of a car space.

“The car park does not require any development or retrofitting. It simply needs to be opened for use for those traveling through the airport.

“Summer time and school holidays are one of the busiest times for the airport - arriving at an airport that’s short on car parking spaces is not the start to a holiday people deserve,” he added.

Mr Kenny also highlighted that public transport may not be an option for many holidaymakers.

“As it stands now, the spaces available to those travelling through the airport are booked for this coming weekend. Availability is also low for the coming weeks.

“Over 95,000 people pass through the airport per day during busy periods. In the absence of adequate and reliable public transport, individuals and families must have these very basic amenities available to them,” he added.

According to a daa spokesperson, the option of opening the car park has already been considered and explored.

The spokesman said daa continues to exhaust all potential avenues for increasing the number of car parking spaces available and is doing everything possible to ensure anyone who needs to park at Dublin Airport this summer is able to do so.

“All car parks at Dublin Airport are sold out and expected to be full over the coming days, so passengers without an existing booking are advised to consider alternative options for getting to and from the airport,” they said.

“Passengers should consider using one of the many bus services that serve the airport, taking a taxi or being dropped off by a friend or relative.

“The number of parking spaces available at Dublin Airport is still reduced by 20pc due to Quick Park’s 6,200 spaces being out of action, as they were last summer.

“This is increasing the pressure on our own car parks, with passenger numbers now back at pre-Covid levels.

“With demand for our car parks expected to remain high through the summer months, passengers are advised to book their parking as far in advance as possible.”