Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is a flaw in the proposals in that it represents no addition whatsoever for passengers. Where will passengers put the rest of their personal baggage, the carry-on item or items that usually go into the overhead bins, if they substitute a musical instrument, such as a banjo, guitar, fiddle or lute? This will generally apply to travelling musicians, for instance, who are performing across Europe. Many musicians treat their instruments like children and I can understand the origins of this proposals, which probably arises as a consequence of sustained pressure. However, it will be of no advantage whatsoever if airlines continue to operate their own internal restrictions whereby a passenger can take an instrument but nothing else.

My final question relates to the apparent lack of transparency in regard to how fare structures are arrived at by airlines.

Consumer groups state that if one goes online between midnight on Saturday night and 1 a.m. on Sunday, one is more likely to obtain cheaper fares than at any other time. There is no transparency on the part of the airlines with regard to how they have arrive at their fare structures. Consumers are in the dark as to the point at which it is cheaper to book flights. Is there anything in the proposals before us which addresses that issue?

Reference was made to a number of organisations and I accept this might have been in response to a specific question. Have any of the user groups across Europe or have any of the consumer groups in Ireland submitted proposals? Is Ms Brogan in a position to indicate the type of matters that are of concern to those groups from the point of view of consumers?