Mr. Maurice O'Connor:

In answer to Deputy Barry's question on employment contracts, it is not the remit of the Irish Aviation Authority to review or look at employment contracts. That is for somebody else to do. To move forward on this, pilots are very well trained and responsible people. As a body, they are highly recognised for their high standards of operation. Also, it is laid down in the rules that if a pilot is tasked with a duty, it is the pilot's responsibility to ensure he is fully fit to take part in that duty. That is the responsibility that I have to see, that the pilot is fully responsible. I have not seen any trend or been notified in any way that pilots are turning up fatigued or in some other state to operate aeroplanes on behalf of any of our air operator certificate, AOC, holder-operators.

With regard to the decision, as I said, the Irish Aviation Authority was not informed. There is no reason for Ryanair to tell us what sort of changes, be they small or large, it is making to its operation. I know the Deputy has concerns that more than 700,000 people were involved in this. Of course, everybody has concerns that this number of people were displaced in some form or fashion. However, our remit is to ensure that the airline is compliant with the regulations. We have a very robust audit programme in place to ensure that all our AOC holder-operators are fully compliant with the regulations. The robust audit programme is based on the EU rule 965. It is an area that is divided into eight categories ranging from the ground to the air, to training, to looking at flight time limitations etc. I do not know what the Deputy means by "light touch". I have no comment on that. I can only advise this committee that Ryanair, about which everybody is talking, is fully complaint with all the regulations, both European and international. I believe that the EASA in its own statement, in its report from our March audit, would go along with that.

With regard to pilot numbers, I have given the pilot numbers we have for Ryanair. It has a standard industry ratio of over 5.2 crews per aeroplane. That covers the early mornings, the late mornings, the standby function, the sick leave and annual leave. Its planning of crew numbers is the industry standard.

With regard to the question on fuel and if we were aware of the list, I was aware of the list some years ago. I believe that function, whereby Ryanair was keeping a list on the usage of pilots' fuel, has been terminated. That is my understanding.