Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Her knowledge reflects that. Some of the statistics she has presented are strong and encouraging. Sometimes in those environments one wonders whether one can do more. One does not want to slip into a position where one is comfortable or the company is complacent in terms of how it achieves its results. I congratulate the Irish Aviation Authority on its safety record in particular. Ms Nolan mentioned that in July 2013, Ireland ranked first out of 29 European countries in a measurement of the effectiveness of safety management in the Eurocontrol performance review body annual monitoring report on safety. Is Ireland consistently at the top of the league on an annual basis? While she mentioned that Ireland was top of the league in a given year, I assume that is not an isolated occurrence. I note that the airports over which the Irish Aviation Authority has authority are Shannon, Dublin and Cork. What are the obligations to the smaller airports nationwide in terms of safety and any other areas? Cork South-West is the constituency I represent, and Cork airport is very important for many of the Cork and Munster constituencies. The environment in Cork has been difficult. The statistics show that Dublin Airport is getting ahead, Shannon is doing well in respect of commercial traffic and Cork airport is bouncing along a flat line. Can Ms Nolan outline how the Irish Aviation Authority deals with the airport authority at Cork? Does she have a view as to how we can improve the situation in Cork? I note what she said about Dublin in regard to the second tower and a parallel runway, all of which is excellent news for Dublin, but is there a similar strategy in place to help Cork airport increase its traffic?

I note that parts of the United States, or perhaps all of it at this stage, are allowing the use of electronic devices on board. Is this an issue for the Irish Aviation Authority? Is the matter being discussed? If airlines can demonstrate to the Irish Aviation Authority that it can be done, can the electronic devices be used in a European context over here?