Dublin Airport New Runway/Infrastructure.

Dublin Airport handles 69% of air travel on the island. Not 90%.

Which is a legit thing to do, as much of the NW and NE use LDY/BFS/BHD when appropriate, and there's constant traffic to DUB from NI.

Something to add aside from the FDI, and jobs, and tourism is also that 24% of the population of the country is now foreign born. And thats increasing rapidly each year.

All of them, and any kids they have, or local partners they meet here, are going to need to fly back to their home countries pretty regularly to see their families.

Thats a huge amount of traffic that can't, and shouldn't be curtailed. Air travel is the only way those people can see their families. And that traffic will only grow rapidly over the years to come.

Well if the government had started Metro North it would be in operation now with Metro West following along and to be honest the traffic into the Dublin airport campus is never that bad, The M50 traffic issue is not related to Dublin airport but bad planning and lack of investment in transport. I fly into and out of Dublin around 16 times a year and have done for quite a few years now and I find the facilities in Dublin on par and or better than a lot of large size airports including Heathrow. Certainly in the last 3 years the standards in Dublin airport have improved vastly, the Metrolink station will be a game changer as it links in with the Sligo/Maynooth line along with Tara street and the major bus routes too. Unfortunately we need to wait another 8/9 years to experience the metrolink line. There's a few issues like the North runway flight paths that need to be addressed along with the night quota as well, the current cap is a national joke and reflects the bad planning which we're too well used to in Ireland. Build a new runway and let the cap stay in place really! and allow FCC decide on such a large planning application along with other planning issues needs to be also addressed. In fairness Darragh O'Brien appears to see the issues and looks to be dealing with them but time will tell?

If you think that a brand new airport would cost less 1.5 billion you're stupid. You've also already been told that Dublin Airport last year served 69% of the aviation market on and off the island. This 90% figure is complete bullshit. The city is not going to stop because the M50 is at congestion. No city will. They grow, and Dublin's growth is only expected to increase. The only way to deal with it is to put in the infrastructure and plan for the future. Dublin Airport's cap is going and your arguments are dumb. Every uneducated claim you're making has been made ten times over by other annoying people like you in this long thread. Go read them.

Ironically the only person I've ever really heard whinge (endlessly) about not being able to fly direct to somewhere was, well, you.

The infrastructure application includes junction improvements. So this was addressed what the airport was approaching 32m.
They just need permission to commence work on the upgrades.

That €1.2b number was wheeled out to justify the project over a €1.0b upgrade to the current airport. Now that's its approved, what the realistic number. Don't confusion initial estimates for actual build cost.
The so call "cheapest" airport in he world, was a low cost terminal in Kuala Lumpur, at $1.5b 12 years ago.
Cost is Georgia and KL are much lower than europe, obviously.

There are two new international airports being complete this year. Vietnam, and a second airport Sydney. Multiple billions for both. Cost to build in IReland is probably some where between the two.

Huh?? Are you confusing me with someone else? Dublin pretty much flies direct to anywhere I would ever want to go so not sure how you gleaned how I "endlessly" complain that it doesnt fly to where I want to travel ! However I will say that I always welcome new direct routes as they benefit the country as a whole from an accessibility and economic perspective even if its to places I know I'll never have the desire or need to go to!

Yep I am. Apologies!

Either through unexcusable ignorance or deliberate vindictiveness their point is always basically "but sure wouldn't it be fairer for Dublin to lose 100 routes for Shannon to gain 1 route". Because thats exactly what would happen if the government started telling airlines where to fly from, or limiting flights from Dublin.

They're the definition of parochial politics, willing to screw over the country for any tiny local gain.

You need to check those numbers. A two second google puts full cost including infrastructure close to $1b. For a relatively small terminal, built in a developing country.

Official figures put construction at several hundred million dollars, but cumulative costs, once associated infrastructure is included, are reported to be far higher – close to a billion dollars, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

The expansion work to bring to Cork 5m is estimated at €200. Crazy to suggest you’d a brand new 5m airport somewhere else for similar.