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A US JUDGE has cleared the way for the doping-disgraced cycling icon Lance Armstrong to go to court, saying the US authorities’ allegations against him merited trial.
The US Justice Department is seeking nearly $100 million in damages from Armstrong, charging that he cheated the government when the US Postal Service sponsored the team he led.
The decision by US District Judge Christopher Cooper, in Washington, DC, comes as a major blow to Armstrong, who had requested the case be thrown out.
He claims the lawsuits were unfounded and that the US Postal Service benefited from his lucrative sponsorship deal.
Cooper overruled that argument in his 37-page decision, arguing that the issue of injury suffered by the United States must be decided by a jury.
The US Postal Service paid more than $32 million to Tailwind Sports Corporation, the now-defunct Lance Armstrong cycling team.
Former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis filed suit in 2010 for fraud and was subsequently joined by the government under the Misrepresentation Act, which authorises individuals to sue a person or company for misleading the federal government.
Armstrong in October 2012 was stripped of his seven victories (1999-2005) in the Tour de France after the American Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused him of actively taking part in one of the most sophisticated doping programs ever seen in sports.
After years of denials and despite his suspension for life, Armstrong in January 2013 finally acknowledged to American television host Oprah Winfrey that he took part in doping.
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Let’s just keep inflating Dublin till it bursts.
@Ted Logan: Where else would you put an additional runway for Dublin airport?
@George Oscar Bluth: second airport to the west for low cost airlines. Could leverage Baldonnel.
Build a proper rail connection to both airports before building a second runway.
Develop other regions to counter balance Dublin and allow a high standard if living to be maintained everywhere.
@Ted Logan: It’s an active military base. The cost to develop it for commercial flights, plus the building a runway there and peripheral infrastructure needed would dwarf the new runway cost.
Kinnegad International Airport
@Ted Logan: It would make more sense to develop one of the other existing commercial airports more… Shannon, Cork or even Galway.
@Ted Logan: there’s some price difference there between a new runway and a new airport
@Ted Logan: So rather than planning a well organised expansion of Dublin Airport that is being cried out by every airline you would rather nothing happen in Dublin?
It’s simple that one main hub airport will work for Ireland, very few airlines want to set up new routes anywhere else. If there was money to be made outside Dublin Airport they would have set them up already.
@Ted Logan: lol! C’mon this is Ireland we are talking about.
@George Oscar Bluth: there are plenty of examples of military airports being converted for civilian use. Modlin in Warsaw for example.
With Dublin as the main national hub we are forcing a lot of traffic into the M50 as it is. Can it take more traffic that the additional runway would bring.
An additional runway may be what the airlines want but we need to future proof the solutions.
My point is if we keep pumping everything into Dublin/Dublin airport it will cease to function.
We are a small enough country with a lot of potential to develop the regions. 3/4 small and medium cities are better than trying to fit everyone and everything into one large city.
@Rear Admiral: think long term. Runway may last 20 years. A slightly different approach could last 100 years
@George Oscar Bluth: Dublin is Ireland’s financial powerhouse. Tax intake subsidies rest of nation. Other city airports are for locals only. In fact shut them down . The locals can train it to DUB.
@Mairtin Cathbhar: what train do you catch to get to Dublin Airport?
@Ted Logan: Good points Ted. A good example is Rotterdam airport. They also have Eindhoven. A 2nd proper functioning airport outside Dublin for short haul EU travel would be ideal. Long haul might need to stay in Dublin until the regions grow.
@Don Juan: and a Dart from Dublin to Kinnegad and Shannon!
@George Oscar Bluth: That’s assuming airlines want to fly to the other airports
@Ted Logan: What are you not understanding re cost here? There is zero business case for this. Baldonnell is tiny air field. Modlin airport was developed, at a substantial cost, from a much larger air base to make an airport for a city almost twice the size of Dublin…also where are you going to move the air corps too? Weston?
@Ted Logan: It be grand Ted
@Ted Logan: Well we don’t have the funds to build a new airport as some are saying and even if we did it would take years to get permission, build it and add infrastructure.
To those saying use Baldonnell, that is never going to happen. As said its an active military base and won’t ever be used for commercial aircraft.
We have to put up with wind turbines and pylons in the country side…. Ye dubs may put up with a bit of noise up there… Fair is fair in the country we share.
@Jamie Jj Tobin: Not really a fair comparison. Wind turbines have to be built 500m away from houses which put out about 40db at that distance. 40db is the WHO guideline for nighttime noise. Homes close to the flight path of the new runway will have to put up with 80db noises, which isn’t twice as loud, but is 16 times as loud using the accepted x2 multiplier for each 10db. There are many economic arguments for the new runway, however there is very little justification in removing the night time limits on flights, put in place by An Bord Pleanala to try and ensure people can get a nights sleep. All the main European airports (Heathrow, Frankfurt, Gatwick etc), have strict rules in relation to night time flights, apart from the 2 chestnuts the DAA keep rolling out Copenhagen (mainly oversea approach and departure) and Palma (holiday island).
@Jamie Jj Tobin: Bit of an unfair comparison Jamie. Wind turbines have to be built at least 500m from homes putting out approx 40db at that distance. (WHO guidelines 40db at night health guidelines) People living up to 5 miles away from the airport close to the flight path will have to put up with 80db in the middle of the night. That’s not twice as loud , but 16 times as loud (noise works on multiplier x2 for every 10db). There is an economic argument for the new runway but families are also entitled to a nights sleep. An Bord Pleanala put fair restrictions (not bans) on night flights to ensure people of north Dublin aren’t woken up at repeatedly during the night. All the main airports in Europe have night time restrictions (Heathrow, Gatwick, Frankfurt etc) as it’s the industry norm, yet the DAA feels unlimited night flights are fair justified (only Copenhagen and Palma are unrestricted). If the DAA want to use an economic argument then they should also highlight the lost working man hours, the increased cost to the health service, the reading deficit suffered by school children which have been highlighted by multiple reports, the WHO, Hyena report, UK Civil Aviation report into new Heathrow runway. The new runway is coming but the ABP restrictions are put there for a reason. The worrying part is Fingal originally granted the DAA unrestricted night flights and only An Bord Pleanala saw fit to put peoples’ health before profit and introduce limitations. Now the Dept of Transport has appointed Fingal as noise watchdog. The DAA are the single biggest rate payer in Fingal – conflict of interests anyone?
So the DAA know that there are noise restrictions in place that will have an adverse effect on operation of the new runway. But are going to build it anyway, then blame someone else because the runway cannot operate to full potential because of noise restrictions ?
@Tommy Roche: It has to be built, look at all major airports in Europe. None have only one runway.
@Mark McDermott: But all the major airports also have night time restrictions (except Copenhagen & Palma). All resident want are European industry norms to be applied.
@Tommy Roche: the movements on the current runway are above the restrictions laid out!
I think house building might be more important.
@Ciara Ni Mhurchu: my thoughts exactly
@Ciara Ni Mhurchu: cant build houses in an airport Ciara
@Rear Admiral: You could run a couple of rows of council houses near the existing runway couldn’t you? Oh wait, no, I forgot thats not Dublin City Center so the gougers will refuse them!
@Ciara Ni Mhurchu: Most of us have houses. It’s a second runway we need…… and a metro to get us to and from it!!
@Rear Admiral: Fun fact. There’s only 1 resident in Dublin airport. The parish priest who lives beside the church.
@Ciara Ni Mhurchu: Think bigger Ciara. Growing the airport will grow the economy. Bigger economy means bigger tax take. Bigger tax take means more money for social spending.
@Rear Admiral: I don’t believe that Ciara was suggesting building houses in the airport. Just build houses were needed.
we’ve got so many houses built already. they’re just too damn expensive to buy or rent
@Mike De Foubert: Yeah it will be great for all the Irish emigrating again. At least their flights will be on time.
“Dublin Airport’s new runway called ‘the most important thing Ireland will build in a generation” It really won’t be anymore than terminal 2 was the most recent ” most important thing Ireland will build in a generation’…
Don’t build this until Cork Airport gets a similar deal to Shannon. The DAA want to run Cork Airport into the ground with the help of their political masters.
@prop joe: Nobody wants to fly into Cork though. So you want to fly the millions that Visit Dublin every year into Cork and what have them pay 70 quid for a train ? The fact of the matter is Dublin is the main place tourists and business people want to fly into. If demand was there then the Airlines would operate more routes from Cork.
@Lie Smeller:
Most of the 1.3 million people living in the Minster region would probably prefer to fly out of Cork
@Tweety McTweeter: 3 airports very close to Cork (Cork Airport, Kerry Airport and Shannon Airport) showing that it’s too many airports there and doesn’t give economic weight for a larger airport as each additional route eats off each other.
With Dublin Airport, the closest airport is Belfast! This is one of the main reasons it has done so well as it has such a good catchment area with little airport competetion.
If Munster/Limerick really want a large role in aviation combining all three airports between Shannon and Cork would overall lead to a much better aviation scene.
@Tweety McTweeter: Cork & Kerry. Everyone else would go for Shannon or Dublin much easier.
@Tweety McTweeter: Tbh easier for me in Waterford to fly from Dublin, the N25 between Youghal and Cork is horrendous, much easier to take the M9 to Dublin plus larger range of flights. I dont even check flights from Cork when i am booking.
@Lie Smeller: Not really, most tourists from the EU and USA head out West. Shannon is ideal w/ access to Galway, Clare, Mayo, and South to Cork, Kerry, etc etc. Apparently lots of German tourists fly directly into Kerry airport
@gregory:
Sorry Gregory but most tourists go to dublin, 8 of the top 10 tourist attractions in Ireland are in dublin and 1 of the other 2 is very near dublin (Tayto park), the other being the cliffs of Mohor.
Fact is most tourists do both, spend a few days in dublin either at the beginning or the end of their holiday.
@gregory: What figures have you to back that up ? Surely if most tourists went west then Shannon would be the busier airport.
Dublin and Ireland are two separate destinations for many tourists. The sooner people outside Dublin realise this the better.
@Lie Smeller: Ask any hotelier in Killarney Galway etc
Munster population: 1.28 million, served by Kerry, Shannon and Cork
Leinster population: 2.63 million, served by Dublin.
Dublin needs to be expanded, for the population it serves and for the connecting passengers. End of. Expanding the airports in the west with the notion that it will solve the capacity problem in Dublin is delusional.
@Kevin Colfer: I agree with you Kevin. Except one thing. Where are the other million people that make up ROI’s population..??
@Michael Fehily: Connaught ? most people there are served by dublin/knock.
My comment was aimed at the comments here suggesting that cork/shannon should be expanded instead.
@Kevin Colfer: and ulster*
@Kevin Colfer: As long as the DAA operates Cork airport, there will be minimal growth. It should be allowed to operate independently like Shannon in competition with DUB
@Phil Hegarty: I agree completely.
@Kevin Colfer: ‘Dublin needs to be expanded, for the population it serves..’ The problem is Dublin is a low density urban sprawl that needs to be fixed before making matters worse by expanding its airport which will only add to the many problems afflicting the Dublin region such as housing, traffic congestion, crime, social inequality etc. One of the most significant features of Ireland over the last 50 years is the manner in which Dublin has cannibalized Ireland.
Ridiculous to restrict hours of operation. If you live next to an airport you have to expect noise! Get used to it or more (or don’t move there in the first place)
@Toomasu Sumitsu: Seeing aswell that a large part of people who work in North Dublin are directly employed because of the airport/airlines it is economically needed.
@Greg Mumble: Have you heard modern jet engine planes land? They are sustainability quieter than 20/30 years ago. I love close the airport and barely hear them at night as they have got a lot quieter.
@Ricardo: not all planes are modern that land in the airport! Most cheap airlines fly older planes in late night to reduce landing fees. Have some consideration for the people that are directly affected which is quite considerable.
@Geoff Walsh: You are incredibly wrong. Have you seen how young the Ryanair fleet is, they have one of the youngest fleet in the world. Aer Lingus are quiet aswell.
I live directly beside the flight route, they are only looking for compensation. It’ll be a game changer as 1/2 my estate are employed by the airport and without it lots of North Dublin would be economical screwed.
@Geoff Walsh: which airlines fly older cheaper planes? The vast majority of late night traffic into and out of Dublin, and there fleets are modern.
@Toomasu Sumitsu: You expect noise next to an airport, the question that must be asked is what level of noise, how frequent and when? Dublin Airport is currently only one of three airports in Europe (with Copenhagen & Palma) operating with no restrictions on numbers or levels. All the other major airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Frankfurt, Amsterdam etc) have proper rules and guidelines in place like developed economies should. The DAA are chasing the night time market that no one else wants, because they feel the health of the people of North Dublin is secondary to an extra bit of profit.
Acute Noise Pollution has serious health implications so please don’t be so flippant. HYENA Report (Hypertension & Exposure to Noise near Airports) 2008. 4861 people aged 45-70 studied over 5 years at 7 major EU airports found – A Lnight 10db (decibel) increase resulted in a 14% increase in high blood pressure and a 34% increase in the use of medication for high blood pressure. Basners 2014 report also found a 7%-17% increase for a 10db increase in air traffic or road noise exposure. The HYENA study found that a 10db increase in night-time (Lnight) aircraft noise was associated with a 27% increase in anxiety medication use.
They live in a bubble of their own making in Dublin Airport, where they are always more important than anything else. Reality, on the other hand….
@David Knight: Schiphol Amsterdam has vv strict flying times and rightly so.
We have more then enough airports between Shannon, knock and cork without needing to build this government pet project. Taxi drivers make there living driving from limerick to Dublin just to collect those who cannot land at Shannon. Its another failure of our infrastructure planning that private interests are driving this project. They own the land to make millions and the taxpayer builds them a runway for free.
Were we not going to be leaders in climate change? why is this project not carbon natural could electric not have replaced diesel where possible?
Its family’s that are going to live under this new flight path that really will suffer health effects. Showered with fumes from jet fuel all day every day.
@leartius: You just contradict yourself for the whole post, more flights in the west or less flights overall for health reasons?
Btw plenty of room in the western airports, but none of the airlines want to use them fact.
@Ricardo: No proper health data is available showing what effects jet fuel has on humans. Does it really vanish once burned in a jet engine. We already know the health concerns diesel engines create for those living along busy roads.
Shannon, cork and knock has no where near the housing density of north Dublin. Any extra pollution will fall on bog land, marsh land or dissipate over large sways of farmland.
health concerns are always secondly in government thinking to lobbyists demands. All it takes is a strike/emergency at Dublin airport to cripple this country. With five working airports that could not happen.
@leartius: Let’s ban cars in cities and towns as they harm health. Hell lets ban the main motorways around Dublin in case of strike/emergency as it’ll cripple the country.
See how ridiculous that sounds?
@leartius: At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this thread is now dumber for having read it.
@Alan: Well Alan, you set the bar very low. thanks for reading.
@Ricardo: We already are banning car from our cities due to health concerns. Traffic around Dublin grinds to a halt twice daily with the N50 compared to a car park even on a Sunday. Maybe I do sound ridiculous but we are building infrastructure for private lobbyists not for the public. Every motorway we build increases private car usage instead of public transport. Why you ask? is our current recovery not build on car sales.
@leartius: this is hardly a government pet project, it is essential if Dublin is to move forward and not fall behind other major cities. Ask anyone in the aviation industry what we need in Ireland and they will say a second runway in Dublin airport.
@leartius: Cars are being banned due to councils wanting to create pedestrian areas, please show me any evidence that cars are being banned due to health reasons.
We need a second Airport. Baldonnell would be ideal Luas Could Run to it.and cut cross city and M50 traffic
Move the air Corp up to Done gal and create employment up there.
Might be off the wall
But just a thought
@Cllr Ray McHugh: Can people stop mentioning Baldonnell, no way are they going to ship them out.
@Cllr Ray McHugh: It’s off the wall. Greater market of connecting flights when you all land into one airport…
He[Dalton Philips] added: “We will engage fully with the new noise regime to make a very strong case for the existing restrictions to be amended and to ensure clarity for airlines, passengers and other stakeholders.”
Translation: lot’s of golden handshaking to be done.
@Patty Cullinane: Yeah, new noise regime being Fingal County Council instead of the IAA. Who is the largest single rate payer to Fingal? Yep, the DAA. Conflict of interest anyone.
Let’s open the airport up again in Wexford at Castlebridge it’s closed many many years.
http://www.maplandia.com/ireland/airports/wexford-castlebridge-airport/
Alternative title: no new infrastructure planned for next 20 years
Leo drew a line from Galway City to Drogheda when he was in Transport in 2011 and no investment will be made north of that. The portion West of the Shannon will be one large wildlife sanctuary.
close all the other airports. the DAA does not want them to compete with Dublin. Dublin needs water for growth. Needs an new runway for growth, a metro etc. all going to happen. Sickening.
All this buzz about Dublin Airport. Come on guys, we all know Knock is the only airport we need. Bog sweet bog
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