Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A chairperson does not see everything and that is a good thing. I was a teacher for a long time and the chairperson of the board of management used to visit every now and again. The chair did not have knowledge of all the day-to-day stuff but had a sufficient level of oversight and that is positive. One should not have to know. I am going back on some of the questions levelled at the chief executive, who was here previously, but a chairperson should not have to have a knowledge of everything. I want to impress upon Mr. Bourke that when he does attend board meetings, and he has had ten already this year, which is a lot, that he probes and assesses the communication that trickles from the office on D'Olier Street right down to rank and file staff. I believe something is wrong when industrial relation stuff comes through a constituency email or letter and then comes to this committee, which shows that communications have broken down. I will not go over the issue. I believe communication must be led from the top and we have every faith in Mr. Bourke.

I have two questions but they may concern operational matters and, if so, then Mr. Bourke does not need to answer. Did the issue of drones dominate a lot of board level chat this year? A related matter is unauthorised military flights but these were two things out of the ordinary. They appear on screen at Shannon Airport and alarm bells ring, when a flight is on final approach at an airport and a drone appears over the fence, and additionally, way out in the Atlantic when there is an encroachment in Irish air space, these issues go all the way up to board level. Have we seen a quietening of these instances, particularly since the outbreak of the new war in Gaza? Has this matter featured during Mr. Bourke's tenure? Is this a matter that must be discussed here?