The possibility of DAA, Dublin’s airport operator, taking a short-term lease on an idle car park near the airport is being viewed positively by the Irish competition watchdog, despite its previous decision to prevent acquisition of the 6,200-space site. This comes amongst the backdrop of a new bidding process for the 42-acre site.
However, DAA indicated through a spokesman that they are no longer considering a short-term lease for the site.
Brian McHugh, the chair of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), stated on Wednesday to journalists that the authority would be eager to assist if the owner of the car park consented to a short-term lease while reopening the car park.
Earlier in March, CCPC had blocked the purchase of the former Quick Park complex on Swords Road in Santry by DAA due to concerns of monopolization of the car parking industry. This was detailed in CCPC’s partially-redacted 295-page report.
McHugh also mentioned that there are no obvious competition issues should any of the multiple interested parties opt for a short-term lease. DAA’s engagement in a short-term lease might be possible without facing competition issues provided the contract details and circumstances are favourable.
He further clarified that the CCPC has not received any short-term lease agreement for assessment yet. However, the interested parties have been informed that the CCPC is open to a short-term lease.
Among the interested parties in the 2022 sales process are David Cullen, owner of Euro Car Parks, and an Irish investment firm, Innovest.
Last month, during a gathering of the Oireachtas’s transport and communications committee, the chief executive of DAA, Kenny Jacobs, revealed that the DAA was on the brink of securing a deal to lease a site from Mr Gannon for operation during the months of June and July. However, Mr Gannon opted out of this arrangement.
A representative for the DAA declared on Wednesday that the company has now let go of this interest. He said: “At this stage our focus has shifted to seeing the facility reopen and its spaces become accessible to travellers once more, and also a guarantee from any future property holder that it will persist as a car park.”
The CCPC remarked that if DAA had completed the purchase of the previous Quick Park site, it would have ended up with a dominating 90% control over car parking spaces near Dublin Airport or within it, with the outstanding 10% controlled by a few hotels.
The commission voiced that DAA’s acquisition of the land could have created a significant decrease in competition in relation to providing parking spaces to the Dublin Airport public.