Joe O'Reilly (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the committee's deliberations and I will honour the Chairman's courtesy by being as succinct as I can.

I had a heartbreaking meeting with a family from my area in Leinster House recently. The son had paid €60,000 to PTC. They are an excellent local family and they are working people who earn their money in an ordinary, decent fashion. They could not afford the fees and they borrowed a considerable amount. What has happened to them is unacceptable, heartbreaking and wrong. I will not name them as there is no need to do that. The IAA provided a three year licence. If it was the authority's responsibility to know PTC had the resources to provide quality, safe training, it is Jesuitical to separate that from commercial viability. It either was viable to provide training or not and the authority failed to establish that. That raises fundamental questions, including about the role of other agencies, to which Deputy O'Donovan referred.

PTC went into liquidation on 2 October. On 3 October, a new company was registered called Clearsky Pilot Training College Limited. There is an allegation that the chief executive officer and some other directors of PTC are involved in the new company and it may be a reincarnation of the old sick animal, which is disturbing. It merits a response and close scrutiny.

I echo the appeal that was well made by Deputy Dooley. The IAA's resources are in good nick currently. There are exceptional circumstances in this case and the authority and other agencies cannot deny culpability even on technical terms. Everybody in society is culpable to the extent that there should be greater vigilance. Given the gravity of the situation and the horrendous position these young people are in, will the authority make an exception of their cases and provide compensation to them? They should be compensated and they should get another opportunity. It is a heart rending story. They are innocent victims. It is not good that people like us are splitting hairs about who has responsibility while they suffer. They are young people of huge ability and great initiative and their families have great drive and ambition. It is not right to respond this way.

I await the response of the officials. While Deputy O'Donovan called for further investigation, which is the prerogative of the committee, of which I am not a member, and this has merit, there is the immediate issue facing the students and I would like that addressed. I thank the Vice Chairman for his indulgence.