A redevelopment plan proposed by a consortium led by business tycoon Ulick McEvaddy for the land bank between the main runways of Dublin Airport detailed a staged approach, starting with more car parking and logistics space, eventually moving towards constructing a third terminal, according to a report by the Sunday Independent. The detailed suggestion, spanning 64 pages, was submitted to Fingal County Council, with the potential for the airport to expand and host up to 55 million passengers each year.
Prior to this proposal, the airport’s operator, DAA, provided their own plan aimed at expanding the runway aprons among other amendments to increase the capacity to 40 million passengers annually. However, the land’s owners argue their blueprint could be put into action faster and more cost-effectively, despite both strategies necessitating an investment of €2.2 billion.
In a separate development, a future return to pre-Covid levels for building materials prices remains unlikely, amid continued price surges following the pandemic, as revealed by Paul Candon, a leading figure in Ireland’s hardware purchasing sector, to the Sunday Independent. He disclosed that prices for critical homebuilding materials such as cement, timber and insulation are still high. Alongside a labour shortage and wage increase in the construction industry, he noted, both merchants and builders remain significantly stressed.
Interestingly, Mr Candon found, based on a conversation with members of the Hardware Association of Ireland (HAI), that the trades ranked as most affected by the shortage were, in order. plumbers, plasterers, electricians, and bricklayers.
In another bid to take on Dublin Airport, plans are being made by an undisclosed Middle Eastern investment consortium to construct an international airport in the vicinity of Arklow, in Co Wicklow. Reportedly, the group has made tentative agreements with local farming communities and families to buy a stretch of land totalling 600 acres. The project leaders say they need at least 800 acres but aim to secure 1,000 acres. The chosen location, unregulated by Dublin Airport’s airspace and with existing motorway links, might provide a cheaper alternative for airlines, they assert.
Lastly, the Web Summit sees the return of Paddy Cosgrave as its chief.
After a string of controversial tweets about Israeli attacks in Gaza led to his resignation, Paddy Cosgrave is back at the helm of Web Summit, according to Sunday Independent revelations. His return was facilitated when Katherine Maher, his American successor, decided to vacate the position only a few months after taking it up. Cosgrave’s problematic tweets had provoked the ire of tech heavyweights including Meta and Amazon, who considered withdrawing from the flagship conference in Lisbon.
In other news, the owner of Fercullen whiskey, Powerscourt Distillery, is reportedly considering a sale. The Sunday Times suggests that the Slazenger family seeks to expand the distillery’s reach, hence its exploration of the market for potential investments. The company has hinted at its interest in attracting further growth capital but refused to divulge more information. Nevertheless, it appears Key Capital has been assigned the responsibility of overseeing a possible sale in the past few months.