Mr. Brian Kealy:

No. A bit like driving testing, one goes to the driving school and then goes to the test centre. The IAA carries out both written and practical, that is to say flying, examinations. It charges accordingly for those. One of the points from our perspective is that we appreciate the responsibility, but in our view the IAA should have intervened earlier. As an external observer, in light of the fact that it was trying to promote aviation training and education in Ireland and had actually set up a body the previous year, it would have looked pretty bad if it had ended up closing one of the largest pilot training colleges in Ireland within six or nine months. In many ways, the IAA was very heavily invested in promotion. As we have seen, it is very difficult for a body which has a job promoting things to come down harshly on those carrying out the activities it promotes. A comment that I have heard is that a regulator is needed. Regulators can be slow about taking action. Things can get pretty bad, and only when the problems finally blow up does the person with the job of cleaning up ask why it was not stopped sooner.