Prior proposals for the purchase of a car park situated near Dublin Airport are set to reemerge after a failed sale to DAA, a State company, meddling with the competition authorities this week. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) halted the sale of the erstwhile Quick Park compound on Swords Road in Santry because it would award DAA virtually a complete control on car parking in that area.
The verdict raised anxieties about potential tight spots for holidaymakers needing parking at Ireland’s largest airport this summer, as the 6,200-space property has remained shut for nearly three years. Some from the group of five secondary bidders, who previously made a bid when land developer Gerry Gannon put it on the market in 2022, are expected to make another bid if the property becomes available again.
Innovest, one of these bidders, announced on Friday that they were ready to jump back into the bidding war if the car park becomes available. The firm assured that they had sufficient funding and could reopen the car park in time for the peak holiday season if they turned out to be the successful bidder.
Speculations suggest that other former bidders are also gearing up for another bid following CCPC’s decision on Thursday. During the CCPC’s probe of the car park’s potential sale to DAA earlier this year and summer 2023, they held meetings twice with the secondary bidders.
Kenny Jacobs, the CEO of DAA, announced that the company is mulling over their next steps, which could involve a High Court appeal, following the publication of CCPC’s decision. The company has a 40-day window to contemplate a legal challenge.
Last summer saw the entire 23,000-space parking at Dublin Airport being occupied at varying periods, inciting complaints from passengers and airlines. DAA insists that they could swiftly set the 6,200-space Swords property into operation if they were permitted to purchase it. For the moment, the company advises travellers to reserve parking spots in advance and promotes the use of alternate transportation like bus services that go to the airport.
The chairman of the commission, Brian McHugh, expressed that the sale to DAA could potentially eliminate competition for public car park services at Dublin Airport, thereby providing DAA with a near monopoly. He noted this could possibly lead to increased costs for consumers due to DAA not needing to compete for the car park customers.
The commission further highlighted that other than the airport company, the car park offered a viable business opportunity for other buyers. Despite the commission’s decision, DAA claimed it was a setback for passengers, asserting that the deal would in fact reduce prices as it would increase availability of parking spaces by 6,200.
The Swords Road car park boasts a secured loan from the National Asset Management Agency of the State, which avoids commenting on any particular loans or clients. On the other hand, Sinn Féin’s transportation representative, Martin Kenny TD, expressed his disappointment in the CCPC decision on Friday. He commented that a parking spot was a fundamental facility that should be accessible to all passengers and took note of how some people he spoke to last year felt they could not depend on the limited transport alternatives to the airport that are currently available.