Mr. Donal Moriarty:

All that I have said highlights the effectiveness of the measures introduced by the European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, and the ECDC.

I will turn now to some specifics on antigen testing and why we believe it is the route forward. Italy has recently introduced a testing requirement for arrivals from high-risk or red-coded countries that includes antigen testing as an appropriate standard. On 18 October last, the French minister for transport announced plans to introduce rapid antigen testing at airports on departure to countries such as the US and on arrival from red-zone countries. On 13 October, Germany's Robert Koch Institute, RKI, recommended antigen testing to complement existing molecular PCR tests. Several European airports, including Milan, Rome, Frankfurt, Heathrow and Paris, are in the process of equipping themselves for antigen testing in the future. Alitalia is already using it and Lufthansa has announced plans to do so. Similarly, Austrian Airlines has recently announced a trial programme for antigen testing. It is clear that antigen testing, at a screening standard, is becoming prevalent, and the solution in terms of facilitating international travel.

I will briefly mention regional operations, in Cork and Shannon airports in particular. Aer Lingus has published its 2021 summer schedule, and there are extensive operations planned from both Cork and Shannon airports. However, the easing of international travel restrictions is assumed in the publication of that summer schedule for 2021. Urgent progress along the lines I have just outlined must be made in the appropriate introduction of a traffic light system and testing regime. We have highlighted these issues repeatedly to this committee and to the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response since July. We have referred to the recommendations of the aviation recovery task force, published on 7 July, which have not been implemented. In our view, all these changes must be implemented now.

I will conclude by referring to the Government's resilience and recovery plan. It says that there is a need to keep airports and travel routes open and that Ireland depends on airports for supply chains and economic activity. It says there is a need for travel for essential reasons, and that significant employment and other direct economic impacts result from aviation. It also states that aviation’s strategic importance underpins tourism and business generally, and that rebuilding the national economy has a critical dependence on aviation. That is what the resilience and recovery plan says, but we do not have any evidence of policy decisions and actions being taken in pursuit of that plan.

Our economy needs certainty about connectivity. This must be prioritised urgently for 2021. Businesses and the economy in general are critically dependent on it. I thank the committee for the opportunity to make these remarks.