Until there is an aviation policy aligned with Ireland’s climate obligations, campaign group Children’s Rights Over Flights says the Government is reckless to lift the cap.
Dublin, 10th February 2026, Campaign group Children’s Rights Over Flights is outraged that the cabinet plans to approve legislation today that would prevent any limits to passenger numbers at Dublin Airport, even as the State-declared climate emergency worsens. The group says it is reckless and irresponsible to abolish the ‘passenger cap’, given the already record levels of aviation fossil fuel pollution being produced, and the recent admission that the State is hugely off track on meeting 2030 emissions reductions targets. They argue it constitutes a betrayal of obligations to protect the rights and welfare of children and future generations, because it wilfully enables masses more aviation pollution to be produced, when rapid and effective emissions reductions are essential to limit climate harms.
The move comes as families and communities are still recovering from Storm Chandra, with its floods made three times more likely by climate change. The group highlights that children growing up today will experience 2-7 times more extreme weather events like this, and that the plans to proceed with increasing polluting flight traffic is completely disconnected from such realities.
Since 1990, Ireland’s population has grown by 44% but emissions from aviation have increased by 500%. By one estimate, the Irish aviation sector now accounts for 10% of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Hannah Daly, Professor of Sustainable Energy at University College Cork said, “Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and the full climate cost of flying is still not reflected in ticket prices. Expanding capacity under these conditions will lock in continued emissions that are incompatible with serious climate action.”
Celestine O’Reilly of Children’s Rights Over Flights said “The passenger cap is a pretty crude instrument to limit aviation emissions. It doesn’t address emissions from freight aviation for example. But at least it’s a guardrail until the Government gets its act together and puts a strong aviation policy in place – one that’s aligned with Ireland’s climate and child rights obligations and with best available science. Instead, the Government is yielding to pressure from groups like Airlines for America and other powerful vested interests.”
She continued, “We’re in a David and Goliath situation here. I’d urge anyone who understands the gravity of what’s facing our kids and grandkids, to tell their elected representatives that we must keep the current passenger cap – at least until there’s an alternative plan for aviation to contribute fairly to climate action.”
Deirdre Duffy, CEO of Friends of the Earth said, “Clean air and a safe climate are legal obligations, not optional extras. The International Court of Justice has made clear that failing to rein in polluting industries risks breaching international law, especially where children’s rights are at stake. Publishing legislation to lift the aviation cap moves us in the opposite direction towards more pollution, less protection, and no credible pathway to our climate targets and a healthy environment.”
The Dublin Airport Authority’s (DAA) planning application to raise the cap from 32 to 40 million passengers annually (mpa) indicated that this increase alone could entail an increase in emissions of 750,000 metric tonnes by 2031 – representing an approximately 22% increase. It has been suggested that, without any cap, passenger numbers could increase to 60 mpa. Children’s Rights Over Flights is unaware of any attempts by Government to independently quantify the increase in emissions that would be associated with lifting the cap to levels of either 40 or 60 mpa.
Economic arguments for increasing polluting flight traffic are dubious. For example, a recent report by Opportunity Green highlights a substantial travel and tourism deficit resulting from record spending by Irish citizens travelling abroad, compared with spending by visitors to Ireland – estimated at €5.1 billion in 2023. They further note the lucrative revenue streams lost, for example via the absence of responsible aviation taxes.
Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment, Darragh O’Brien, who is leading the Government’s push to abolish the passenger cap, has recognised the State’s obligation to “prioritise rapid and effective emissions reductions to protect the rights and welfare of children.” Scrapping the only limit we have at present on polluting flight traffic does not align with this obligation and we call on the Minister, as a first step, to put children’s futures first and abandon plans to do so.
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Children's Rights Over Flights 
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