Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The issue in terms of the aviation leasing sector is one that needs to be examined and reviewed. The State has had huge success in attracting in aviation leasing business. Some 50% of all aviation leasing happens in this State. Figures show that 35 such companies operate in this State employing 1,000 people. A very small number of people are employed given that those in this business have 3,000 planes available to them at a cost or an asset value of €80 billion. When we look at the CSO figures in terms of investment, some of the detail is skewed because the benefit to the State in terms of the figures is not huge. After attracting 50% of aviation leasing business into the State, how do we maximise the benefit from it? That is the genuine and legitimate question we should be asking because this is a hugely lucrative industry. Whatever has happened in the past to entice that business to this country, and it is a mobile community who can move out of this country very easily, our job must be to maximise the potential profits for the State from this business. The figure for this sector is €80 billion and 100 jobs have been created as a result of that. Aviation leasing is not a labour intensive industry, therefore, we are not going to tie jobs to it. It is not a labour intensive issue.