Transport debate: A leading transport expert has warned the Progressive Democrats that a State-owned second terminal at Dublin airport will not deliver competition and lower costs to the consumer.
Trinity College economist Dr Seán Barrett told the party's conference that plans to allow the Dublin airport authority to build the second terminal, with the Aviation Regulator setting landing fees, would not work.
He said that an independent terminal made "absolute logistic and economic sense".
"Competition is always superior to regulation and we should have it at Dublin airport," he told delegates.
PD transport spokesman Senator Tom Morrissey said there were 13 expressions of interest from private companies to build and operate a second terminal, at no cost to the taxpayer.
"An independent terminal is in the consumers' interest; strengthening the monopoly at Dublin airport isn't," he said.
Mr Morrissey said the proposed partial sell-off of Aer Lingus and the future of the Shannon stopover should not be linked to the second terminal.
Dr Barrett also told delegates that the Department of Transport had been blocking competition in the bus sector by failing to give licenses on new routes to private operators.
He also believed that some of the State subsidies given to Bus Éireann were being used for advertising and predatory pricing on routes where the company faced competition from private operators.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said responsibility for road safety should be brought under one senior or junior Minister, as opposed to being split across the Departments of Transport and Justice. He said the current situation did not "favour getting results" on reducing road fatalities and injuries.
He made his comments following a speech to delegates by the chairman of the National Safety Council Eddie Shaw, who said more effort was needed to reduce fatalities.
He said the current rate of deaths of 30 per month could be reduced to 20 through various measures, such as education and enforcement, but proper resources were needed.
He said 3,500 people were either killed or seriously injured on Irish roads last year.