Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien has officially opened the new solar farm beside Dublin Airport.
The 15,000 solar panels, on a 28-acre site, are expected to generate up to 9 gigawatt hours of electricity every year and this would curb up to 2,025 tonnes of carbon emissions from the ground operations at Dublin Airport.
"We've got to control the controllables," said the minister.
However, Mr O'Brien was speaking with his Minister for Transport hat on, rather than in his role as Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy.
He was referring, not to greenhouse gas emissions, but to the passenger cap which limits the annual amount of passenger journeys to and from Dublin Airport to 32 million.
"We want to make it bigger - great that the removal of the cap and working with stakeholders is part of the program for Government, that's always been on our agenda, and that's the way we want to do it.
"And we want planning to give us a green light so that we can expand this airport and expand it in a way that is sustainable because that will allow us to add the piers and the stands that we need to really welcome more airlines here and create even more jobs."
The passenger cap has been suspended by the High Court following a challenge by airlines.
Daa - operator of Dublin Airport - has also lodged a planning application with Fingal County Council looking to raise the cap from 32 million passenger journeys to 40 million.
It estimates raising the cap would lead to an increase in flight emissions from the airport by 276,591 tonnes of CO2 or equivalent greenhouse gases next year, 136 times more than emissions cuts gained by investing in the solar farm.
Flights account for 90% of the emissions associated with the airport and that means the gains from sustainability programmes in ground operations can be dwarfed by increased passenger numbers.
CEO of Daa Kenny Jacobs does not accept that limiting the number of flights at Dublin could limit emissions.
"I think we need to take a wider European view. There's no point saying a cap at Dublin is great for European emissions. It just moves emissions to other airports and also the jobs and the airlines and the economic contribution that goes with it."
While the fate of the passenger cap is being dealt with through the courts and the planning process, that may change.
The Government may legislate to allow the Minister for Transport to decide on the passenger cap.
Mr O’Brien said that he wants to see the passenger cap lifted, but acknowledged he will also have to be conscious of his obligations as Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy.
"The considerations with regard to Ireland's reduction in emission targets are obviously something that I, as minister with responsibility for environment, also have to take into account.
"I've got to ensure, though too, as I mentioned earlier on, that we utilise our State assets to the optimum ... we have an airport here that's the fifth busiest in Europe, the fifth best connected.
"We have a lot of other routes that people are willing to and want to open up here that's good for business, good for trade, good for tourism, and that supports tens of thousands of jobs outside of aviation.
"So that also has to be a clear consideration that I will make when the options are presented to me, which obviously would have to go back to Government."
