Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 14 October 2020
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport
Aviation Sector: Discussion
Mr. Paul Hackett:
Coming back to Mr. Dawson's point with regard to consumer certainty, one of the key points that came out of the aviation task force report and from the Council and the Commission yesterday that will provide certainty and allow for the removal of quarantine is the provision of adequate testing. It is critical. We do not have that in the current traffic light system of green, orange and red. It can change at a whim. There are too many moving parts to it. It is too confusing. We have to apply the testing regimes, not only in this country but at airports, it if is to work effectively.
With regard to the question on how the budget helps, the Covid restrictions support scheme would be very welcome. We need clarity that the travel industry fits within it. We also need clarity with regard to the fact that, while one can talk about levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, effectively, the travel industry has been at level 5 since March. We have been locked down since March and we have been open since March. We cannot have a scenario whereby it is a requirement for the travel industry to be at level 3 in order to be receiving those supports because trading has been at minus 95%. No other industry is like that.
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