Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Can Aer Lingus restate its commitment to Shannon Airport, which is vital for connectivity, for business and for tourism? We have a massive footprint of FDI companies, particularly in Shannon and Limerick, and connectivity is vital for them to do their business. It also serves the whole west coast of Ireland, particularly the North American traffic. Can Ms Embleton confirm when Aer Lingus intends to reinstate traffic to and from Shannon?

Can she confirm when the Heathrow route will start again? The difficulty is this. The base ensures there is an early morning flight from Shannon to Heathrow and a late evening flight back, enabling business people to do their business within a day, travelling over and back to London. Can Ms Embleton give any assurance in that regard? Can she give any assurance that Aer Lingus will come to an arrangement with the Government, given that I understand Aer Lingus is in negotiation with the Government in terms of a financial aid package to keep the airline running?

I know the airline is an extreme difficulty. In her opening statement, Ms Embleton rebutted the need for conditionality within any arrangements reached with the Government. I would say to Ms Embleton that beggars cannot be choosers. Aer Lingus needs money and it needs capital to keep the airline going. It has received significant money from the State from the temporary wage subsidy scheme, TWSS, and the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, and is also in receipt of a loan, but it really needs a cash injection. Surely, on the back of that, it could reach an agreement. I understand the Government is willing to give it money but that has to come at a price, and that price has to be the reinstatement of the cabin crew base in Shannon, the reinstatement of the strategic routes to Heathrow, Boston and New York, and also to look at connectivity to Europe. Ms Embleton might come back to me on Aer Lingus’s engagement with the Government on those issues.