The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, a business lobby group, is reconsidering its support for the idea of competing terminals at Dublin airport.

The idea of getting another operator to manage the new terminal is supported by the Progressive Democrats and Ryanair, but the chambers said it was open to the contrary argument that the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) should operate and build the new facility.

The organisation's current official policy is strong support for the idea of competing terminals.

In a document prepared for a meeting of the chambers' transport council yesterday, it was pointed out that successful competing terminals were relatively rare in the aviation sector.

In the light of this, the document said: "The committee may wish to review our current position of supporting competing terminals at Dublin Airport."

The document, seen by The Irish Times, admits that changing the policy would effectively mean supporting the Government decision to have the DAA develop and operate the new terminal.

Speaking after the meeting, the chief executive of the chambers, John Dunne, said the organisation was going to write to the Government seeking some clarifications.

He said the organisation wanted to ensure that, if the DAA was allowed to build and operate the facility, this did not mean all the work practices and inefficiencies would simply be replicated in the new facility.

He said there was also a question about how the tender process was going to work to select an operator.

According to the document: "Based on consultations with airlines and other interested parties, it is clear that there are issues with work practices inherited from Aer Rianta. Reforms in work practices appear to have run their course.

"A significant worry is that, if a new terminal at Dublin is established under DAA's oversight, then it may be infected with the same poor work practices and productivity issues as are currently the case in terminal one at the airport," it adds.

Meanwhile, a group of Shannon-based businessmen and management figures have written to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern saying that the airport should be allowed a "transition period" before the compulsory Shannon stopover is removed.

The group want a high-quality dual carriageway from Shannon to Galway so that passengers find it easier to get to the airport.