Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to speak now. It is good to be tested every now and then. I was a teacher before becoming a Deputy and I used to enjoy springing a question on a child to see whether he or she was listening in class. I am caught out myself today.

Aviation is a very seasonal sector. We all, including those of us in this committee, wait with bated breath each autumn to see what schedules airlines are offering for the following spring. The airlines, in turn, hope the consumer will react positively by booking seats and that there will be a surge season. Given that the sector is so seasonal and the floor fell out of it in the space of one year, why would its recovery take four to five years? We are now in a good situation in respect of Covid, with things improving day by day. Almost 93% of the population is vaccinated and digital Covid certificates are in operation. People are starting to travel again, albeit slowly. Why will recovery take four or five years when, by its very nature, the industry is so seasonal?