Like the Pope and the kings of England and Spain, Michael O’Leary has delivered his annual Christmas message, asking Taoiseach Micheál Martin to scrap the passenger cap at Dublin airport:
Good afternoon, Everyone May I wish you on behalf of Ryanair a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 2026.
For the new year, what Ryanair would like to see most is that our do nothing Taoiseach Micheál Martin would deliver on his programme for government where he promised to scrap the cap at Dublin airport as soon as possible.
This programme for government was published in January 2025, 12 months ago. What’s he done in the last 12 months to deliver this? Zilch, nothing, nada.
Now, he has been very busy. He has to go abroad to travel to the COP conference, which could have been done by the environment minister. He then went off to the G20 to get his photograph taken there. Could have been done by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He even had time recently to show up at Kerry Airport, to open a baggage hall. Which could have been done by the transport minister. Leaving the Taoiseach free to spend his time delivering on the programme for government. But he’s very busy going abroad to give photo opportunities.
This was him in Angola recently, which could have been done by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, but he was very keen to protest that anybody who criticises his foreign travel and photo opportunities was barking up the wrong tree because he was delivering jobs. Listen to this.
(Quotes from Michael Martin: I think you need to be objective in how you assess that? I don’t think there is that degree of criticism. I think most people in the country accept that the leader of the country has to engage internationally. so much emanates from the international world in terms of influencing our economy. I disagree fully in terms of your criticism of those who are criticising government performance. I’m actually, in terms of my visits and so on, have limited them actually to just functional meetings. I don’t go abroad for any other reason than to advance the country’s agenda.)
Michael O’Leary: So, sorry, Taoiseah I do disagree. Your government performance has been shambolic. You haven’t delivered on your own programme, which you promised to abolish the cap at Dublin airport as soon as possible, because you’re too busy traveling the world like some cheap salesman, getting your photograph taken.
You even had the cheek this week to declare the Dublin air space over Ireland was clear for Santa Claus. In fact, Santa Claus can’t land at Dublin Airport either, because you, with a 20 seat majority, are too busy touring the world getting your photograph taken to deliver on your own programme.
So in January, we’re calling on you, or do nothing Taoiseach. Use your 20 seat majority, pass the legislation to scrap the Dublin airport cap, and then let Ryanair and others deliver the growth, create the jobs that your visits to Angola don’t deliver. If somebody needs to go to Angola, send the foreign minister, your job is to be at home here driving forward the agenda.
Twelve months has gone by, you haven’t scrapped the cap, you’ve done nothing on housing, you’ve done nothing on planning reform and done nothing on infrastructure either.
So, Happy New Year, Taoiseach, for the new year. Your resolution should be, do something. Deliver your programme for government, scrap the cap of Dublin airport, and maybe spend less time abroad getting your photograph taken. Happy New Year.
