The Dublin Airport Authority has told the Government that it wants to stop the practice of offering VIP services free of charge to the President, the Taoiseach, senior politicians and foreign dignitaries.
In a reversal of the decades-old policy of providing complimentary services for the political elite, the authority says the Government should pay for the special treatment enjoyed by Ministers, junior Ministers and the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
According to proposals the authority made this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs would be obliged to pay for any use of the VIP suite by foreign heads of state and government members.
The VIP service enables figures such as the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to bypass the cumbersome check-in procedure in the comfort of a private lounge with complimentary refreshments. Users of the service are brought directly to their flight.
It is understood that the authority wants to charge €175 for the service for an individual VIP or €240 for a group of four.
While the airport has never charged the President, Mrs McAleese, for use of a separate ceremonial suite, the proposals are also understood to include a new charging policy for that service.
A spokesman said the airport authority had a statutory obligation to carry out its operations in a fully commercial manner. "The proposed prices are set at a discount to the commercial rates charged for the airport VIP service and will effectively cover the cost of providing that service," he said.
"Our proposals have been discussed with the secretaries general of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Transport. Dublin Airport plans to meet senior officials in the Department of Transport early in the new year with a view to securing agreement on their implementation."
He added that a cap on landing fees was forcing airport charges downward and the airport had to ensure all its sources of revenue were priced commercially.
