childrensrightsoverflights.ie/2026/03/18/j...
@actionaidie.bsky.social @foeireland.bsky.social @irishcyclingcmpn.bsky.social @jcfjustice.bsky.social @nhna.bsky.social @oxfamireland.bsky.social @staygroundednet.bsky.social @xr-ireland.bsky.social
Open letter from 16 organisations to Minister O'Brien calling on him to urgently halt the Government’s interventions to legislate exemption from climate obligations for the Dublin Airport cap.
childrensrightsoverflights.ie/2026/03/18/j...
Image of airplane with slogan "Your Journey Counts" and text "Flying less is one of the most impactful things any of us can do to give our kids a better chance for their future. #YourJourneyCounts
🚲🚶♀️🚌 As we're rightly reminded by our Govt, our journeys count in climate emergency.
⚠️ But they seem to have forgotten flying less! www.
wri.org/insights/climate-friendly-choices-ranked
We know they're busy trying to remove ANY airport limits, so we've taken time to rectify this bizarre omission
European Commission: calls on people to drive less, fly less and work from home where possible
Irish Minister: discusses all these options *except* flying less
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
Unrelated observation: Minister meets with lobbyists from both Irish and US aviation industry.
Sir, – Your report on US airlines demanding the “immediate removal” of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport highlights an increasingly troubling dynamic in international aviation policy and diplomacy (“US airlines demand immediate removal of Dublin Airport passenger cap,” March 14th) . With Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the United States, it is timely to recall a principle that both Ireland and the United States regularly invoke in other contexts: the rule of law and judicial process. The dispute over the Dublin Airport passenger cap has already entered the legal arena. Proceedings initiated by airlines, including the US trade group Airlines for America (A4A), were referred by the Irish High Court to the Court of Justice of the European Union. In February, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) in Luxembourg, advocate general Manuel Campos Sánchez-Bordonaan advised that such a passenger cap could legitimately be considered an operational constraint within EU slot allocation rules. In that context, the increasingly explicit lobbying by US airlines for the Irish Government to legislate immediately, before the European court has delivered its judgment, raises uncomfortable questions. It risks appearing as an attempt to pre-empt or circumvent an ongoing judicial process. More striking still is that the lobbying is not confined to Irish policy debates. Airlines for America has also sought intervention from the US Department of Transportation and even threatened retaliatory measures against Irish carriers serving the United States.
Such moves go well beyond normal commercial advocacy and edge toward political pressure designed to influence a sovereign state’s planning law and regulatory framework. It is an avid reminder of 2011 when A4A challenged EU requirements for airlines flying internationally to pay for their pollution. Though ultimately the airlines lost in court, their relentless lobbying led to that legislation being “paused” for 13 years. While this legislation (the Emissions Trading System) is back for review this year, it is clear that A4A will again attempt to interfere in EU domestic environmental policy. Giving in to pressure from external lobbying will only embolden them to challenge even more domestic and EU policy. Increasing airport capacity at Dublin Airport will result in unchecked growth of the aviation sector and increased fossil fuel use, despite Ireland’s binding climate obligations. Legislation facilitating increased passenger throughput must be rigorously assessed and not be fast-tracked through parliamentary and judicial process to assuage commercial interests. As the Taoiseach engages with US business leaders this week, he might usefully emphasis that Ireland remains open to international businesses that remain committed to the principles of the independence of courts, and the importance of environmental action. – Yours, etc, SORCHA TUNNEY, Senior Manager, Ireland. Opportunity Green, Dublin.
👏 Great letter in Irish Times on inappropriate aggressive lobbying of American airline lobbyists to remove Dublin airport cap.
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett...
What you should know about the Bill to remove the Dublin Airport passenger cap
⚠️Even if you're not interested in the Dublin Airport passenger cap as an issue, there are many alarming things in the Heads of Bill drafted to remove it, that should be of concern to a great many people in Ireland. We break it down in a LinkedIn post here ⬇️:
www.linkedin.com/posts/childr...
18th March - standing against the Bill to abolish the Dublin Airport cap - presentation at pre-legislative scrutiny hearing followed by protest - links to read and watch on our website:
childrensrightsoverflights.ie/2026/03/18/h...
📄Today we presented as part of pre-legislative scrutiny of the alarming Dublin Airport Capacity Bill. Called for withdrawal of Bill and halt to reckless Gov plan to increase polluting flights in climate crisis.
www.irishtimes.com/business/eco...
Listen from minute 34: www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...
Protestors holding up signs - Keep the passenger cap, Children's Rights Over Flights, Children's Rights not Future Flights
Speak up for children's futures and public health! Join Irish Doctors for Environment, Children's Rights Over Flights, others
Wed 18th March, 1pm-1:30pm
outside the Dáil on Kildare St
Protest the Gov's reckless plans to expand Dublin airport by lifting the cap - entailing more climate pollution.
For a round trip 370 between Paris and Montreal (12,000km) without fossil fuel, approximately 360 liters of fossil kerosene per passenger would need to be replaced by one of the following alternatives: - 370 liters of used cooking oil: about two month's collection from a fast food restaurant - 1,000m2 of lignocellulosic crops: equivalent to 4 tennis counrts of annual harvest - 1,800 kg of firewood or wood waste: enough wood to heat a well-insulated home for a winter - 8,000 kWh of electricity: twice the annual electricity user of a typical French household
Debunking myths that there are *any* routes to limiting aviation climate pollution, which don't involve *substantial decreases* in the volume of planes in the air
theshiftproject.org/en/publicati...
Did you know that one passenger on one return flight Dublin-Paris causes as much climate pollution as a parent who lives 7.5km from a school driving a car to and from a school twice every school day for the whole year (167 days) ? But if that passenger did that trip to and from Paris using ferry and train, that would be equivalent to only 12 days of the same school runs ? * Your school can have a big impact by opting to stay in Ireland for school tours instead of flight-based school trips. There are plenty of excellent and fun school trips which can be done on the island of Ireland. Or if you do have a school trip abroad, for cultural exchange for example, your school can look into travel by land and sea! Travelling in this way is a great experience for students, who see the places they are travelling through, and have fun on the journey! The website http://ByLandAndSea.ie has lots of useful information about travelling by land and sea to and from Ireland. Will your school join the Slow Travel movement ?
Encouraging school tours to use land and sea based transport, in the Department of Education March newsletter on Education and Sustainable Development assets.gov.ie/static/documents/b82adad...
Last year, we urged the Irish government to introduce a nationwide ban on fossil fuel advertising.
They chose not to act.
But across the globe, cities and countries are stepping up—reclaiming the narrative and taking bold action.
Ireland, meanwhile, remains a climate laggard.
#BanFossilAds🔥
Ireland should not remove the Dublin Airport passenger cap, a United Nations (UN) special rapporteur on environmental rights has said.
www.irishtimes.com/environment/...
We are calling for the Government's updates to the Clean Air Strategy to adequately address aviation air pollution
childrensrightsoverflights.ie/2026/02/20/c...
Child Rights International Network: COP30's aftermath: Failure, confusion and hope
home.crin.org/readlistenwa...
🎉Win against fossil fuels 🎉
The Dutch capital of Amsterdam has become the world's first capital city to ban fossil fuel ads, set to come into force on 1st May. 1/2
Head 12 Exemption from the Act of 2015 Provide that: Any function or exercise undertaken under this Act shall be exempt from the provisions of section 15 of the Act of 2015. Explanatory Note This Head provides that the provisions of section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 do not apply to any functions or exercises undertaken under this Bill.
An appalling proposal is hidden at the end of the Government’s Bill on the airport cap; it would exclude decisions under the legislation from the current obligation on almost all public bodies to consider their climate impact and to be consistent with climate objectives.
Tá ár Rialtas chun an eitlíocht a mhéadú. Go raibh maith agaibh, a Éadaoin agus a Angela as labhairt amach ar son páistí agus a dtodhchaí
ar Raidió Na Gaeltachta: nóiméad 10.35-15.45 www.rte.ie/radio/rnag/c...
agus ar Raidió na Life soundcloud.com/rnl/teorann-...
#CeartaLeanaíTharEitiltí
Click no to indicate your opposition to removal of passenger cap in the Irish Times poll below www.linkedin.com/posts/the-ir... and please sign our petition if you haven't already my.uplift.ie/petitions/ke...
4 stories in the @irishtimes.com highlight the crazy approach to climate action by the government. 3 articles detailing the heavy financial & social cost of climate breakdown, and 1 where the govt celebrates increasing climate emissions for the airport by lifting the passenger cap. 🤯 #SpeirGorm
