Mr. Donal Moriarty:

We demonstrated our commitment to Shannon Airport by announcing our summer schedule 2021 and that being an extensive schedule. That is what we want to do. I am aware I am reiterating what I said earlier but there are key things that must be done to enable that to happen successfully. They are the policy change and the appropriate implementation of the traffic light system and the rapid antigen testing regime I outlined.

We have been communicating extensively with our colleagues based in Shannon Airport. As the Deputy said, we are doing so by video message. I do not really apologise for that. It is entirely appropriate in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have also made significant changes recently in terms of pay through the introduction of 40% pay for availability to be in a work pool or winter leave, and we have introduced voluntary severance programmes.

We are, therefore, engaging extensively with our staff about all the options open to them and about the future in terms of our ambition. As I said, our ambition is to maintain an employment relationship with as many of our employees as we possibly can and to do that we want to restore our operations to a sustainable level. We need, however, the support of the State at a policy level to enable that to happen.