Mr. Paul Brandon:

Regarding the Deputy's question on our having a view into the appropriate type of testing, that is not really for us to say. There are a number of alternatives to the PCR test. Our view is that testing should be viewed as a preventative measure. It is targeted at an individual rather than quarantines which, typically, are reactive and are seen as a largely blunt instrument. I also note that with air travel one is essentially testing to check that a passenger is negative as opposed to the typical test which is to check if somebody is positive. From that perspective, there may be scope to use tests which are somewhat less than the gold standard, as the Deputy said with respect to the PCR test.

The Deputy asked what the IAA needs. Essentially, we need air travel to recover. We are managing through the crisis at the moment. We have strong reserves that we had built up over years and we are utilising those reserves to maintain our service. However, the Deputy is entirely correct. Our focus is on maintaining the safety and security aspects and ensuring we keep the skies open. We have had a bad 2020 and it is likely that 2021 will not be great. We really need to see a recovery horizon from next summer onwards.