Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

My question to the Minister was to do with events in Aer Lingus, the joint largest domestic Irish aviation employer but the reply does not reflect my question at which I strongly protest.

Has the Minister received a copy of the Project Greenfield plan for Aer Lingus from his three nominee directors on the board? We are facing the loss of between 676 and 1,000 jobs, according to the new chief executive, Christoph Mueller. Is the Minister aware of the major plan to outsource pilots and cabin crew outside the Republic which is being undertaken by Aer Lingus and aeroplanes have left Belfast in Aer Lingus colours without a single Irish crew member aboard because of a deal with Astraeus? Does the Minister agree with the Aer Lingus proposal to register on the United Kingdom civil aviation register and effectively become a British company and off-source its pilots and cabin crew as private subcontractors based, if the company follows the Ryanair model, in Gibraltar on terms and conditions that are at variance with our Revenue and social welfare rules? This is my third attempt to ask the Minister-----

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