Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome and thank our witnesses. I wish to ask Dr. Horn a number of questions. First, does he think his task force should be reconvened, given that we have an ambiguity surrounding the implementation of the task force recommendations? Second, in his prepared remarks circulated to us he refers to new business development and new and existing customers. In the context of the presentations we have heard this morning and the precariousness of travel, how would he see us as a committee working with the Government, first, to ensure we have adequate testing and, second, to restore confidence among the travelling public, notwithstanding his remarks on new business development and new and existing customers? He said the task force has not convened since 30 July. It had a meeting on 10 July. What has been its engagement, if any, with the Government since 10 July?

I thank our two witnesses in the committee room for being here. I know they are under severe pressure. I myself have been in contact with a number of travel agents who have expressed to me a number of issues with engagement with airlines. Mr. Hackett's statement says that while it was anticipated that the task force's interim recommendations would be implemented by the Government following their publication, this has not been done. What specifically should we on this committee be pushing in respect of the task force?

In the context of the European Council directive this Monday, there seems to be ambiguity again around travel in respect of the green, amber and red lights. What is the witnesses' perspective on this?

I refer to yesterday's budget. From the witnesses' perspective as travel agents who are, as Mr. Hackett rightly said, dealing with the travelling public and with airlines - and their position is far more complicated than others' because they are getting it on both ends of the extreme with little or no recourse to support-----