Dublin Airport Authority have been ordered to provide solutions to the Government within 24 hours to ensure the chaos witnessed at the weekend does not happen again.
But Green Party leader and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he doesn’t think the army will be called in to help.
The DAA has admitted up to 1,000 people missed their flights due to long queues at the airport over the weekend.
READ MORE: Dublin Airport LIVE updates as security queues clog departures for second day running
Speaking following a meeting with management at the airport, Minister Ryan said: “It was totally unacceptable, you can’t have 1,000 people missing flights, you can’t have thousands of people outside, queuing outside the terminal building.
“They [DAA] acknowledged that, they accepted it was a terrible failing and we have to address it, and they have to address it.
“It’s an operational issue for the airport, it's a complex issue very suddenly, a very large increase in demand for people flying but at the same time real difficulty getting skilled workers, particularly in the scanning, screening area in place.
“But we said to them they have to deliver it, and to come back to us with solutions and options so what happened yesterday doesn’t happen again.”
Minister Ryan said management at the airport said there was a shortage of key staff and have been asked to outline how the chaotic situation came about.
He said: “Whatever the reason, a combination of reasons, increase of demand, shortage of key staff at an important time..they have to make sure they’re able to manage the people going through the airport.
“They must know and they do know the reputational damage to the airport and to the country is very real and that can’t be added to by them not providing what they say they will, which is proper compensation for people who have lost flights.”
There are now concerns about long queues and people missing flights again as the June bank holiday weekend approaches.
Minister Ryan said the airport will have to look at how they’re going to cope, it’s an operational matter and he does not believe “the army coming in will overcome the immediate problem.”
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton also met with the CEO of DAA, Dalton Philips, and his management team on Monday morning. She is meeting with airlines on Monday evening.
At the meeting, both Ministers expressed their “immense disappointment and frustration” at the “unacceptable scenes” at Dublin Airport over the weekend.
The Ministers said that the excessively long queues and wait times were causing significant distress to passengers as well as reputational damage to the country from a business, travel, connectivity and tourism point of view.
Daily meetings will also be held at ministerial level with DAA until the difficulties persisting at the airport are satisfactorily resolved.
Minister Naughton emphasised that it is the responsibility of DAA to resolve these matters to the satisfaction of passengers travelling in the days and weeks ahead.
The Ministers stated that the unacceptable queues should not be repeated this Thursday and Friday and into the Bank Holiday weekend and passengers should be confident that they would make their flight with minimum inconvenience.
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