Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose we go into public session. Is that agreed? Agreed. Before we deal with the item on the agenda, we just want to deal with the issue of aviation. We issued an invitation to Ms Lynne Embleton, the CEO of Aer Lingus, to appear before us next week. Despite the repeated requests we have made, representatives from the airline have refused to appear before us. We find that unacceptable. We will be issuing a press statement to this effect and we will reissue the invitation to its representatives today. We are receiving countless queries and complaints from passengers. Aer Lingus is a huge airline and we will expect representatives of the company to come in before us next Wednesday.

The least the company can do is to explain the current position to its customers and to the public. Our role as a committee concerned with transport, and as representatives elected by the people, is to assist in getting public information out. We wish to do a collective body of work in this regard next week. Aer Lingus is an integral part of that undertaking and the invitation I referred to will be going out to the company. We look forward to Ms Embleton appearing before us next Wednesday.

Senator Buttimer also made a proposal regarding Aer Lingus during the week. In the context of national aviation policy, we will be undertaking work on this at the start of the next parliamentary year. We have called for the review of the national aviation policy to get under way immediately. Our colleague, Deputy Carey, has also put a proposal before us to the effect that we would seek to commence work in this regard immediately in September. We have scheduled that in the work programme. I look forward to doing that. I call Senator Buttimer.