Ms Ashley Connelly:

I thank the Deputy for the question. Cabin crew are highly qualified staff, whose training is provided to the highest standard. There is a fear of losing experienced staff in the aviation sector. This is a career they have chosen, and they now face a very unknown future. The fear and anxiety our members express to us every day cannot be underestimated.

On the specific question, some of our members in Shannon have been laid off since June and only a small percentage are back in work. One airline has pulled out of Cork and Shannon and will not return until spring of next year. One airline forced our members into compulsory redundancies. As I stated earlier, we now find ourselves engaging nearly on a weekly basis as the situation continues to evolve. It is getting worse instead of better in aviation. We see no green shoots of any possible return to normality.

I agree that testing needs to be cost-effective. We cannot have this as another hurdle preventing people from returning to travelling. We need to consider free testing. Many initiatives have been taken across Europe. We can learn from our colleagues across Europe to develop a sense of confidence in the return to flying. There needs to be collective engagement to develop a plan that looks after the futures of people who have developed their careers in aviation and want to remain working in the sector. They are the most highly trained staff across Europe.