"There is something distinctly disingenuous about a Minister and department, which delayed calling a public inquiry for months, now seeking to blame the Planning Appeals Commission for the loss at Belfast City Airport.

 

"The planning application was lodged in November 2008, yet it took Minister Poots till 16 March 2010 to decide to ask for a public inquiry, many seeing the timing of the announcement as related to an attempt by the DUP to curry favour in East Belfast in the General Election just 6 weeks later. From November 2008 till March 2010 the Minister sat on the application and in fact the DUP stymied a debate in the Assembly in February 2009 calling for a public inquiry. So, it is rather rich now for Minister Poots to talk about delay by the PAC when he and his department dragged their feet for months before granting the public inquiry that patently was required."