Mr. Declan Fitzpatrick:

I thank members of the committee for inviting me here today to discuss aviation policy. I am joined by my colleague, Dr. Adrian Corcoran, who is our director of economic regulation, licensing and consumer affairs in the IAA. The committee met with my colleagues Jim Gavin and Enda Walsh last week to discuss unmanned aircraft systems, UAS, aviation.

To give an overview of the work of the IAA, it is the regulator for civil aviation matters in Ireland and is responsible for safety, security and economic regulation. We currently have 200 employees, comprising subject matter experts from multiple disciplines, including aviation engineers, pilots, economists, air traffic controllers, aviation security experts, risk management, aviation law and aviation medicine, to name a few.

IAA's responsibilities are set out in a framework of applicable global, European and national legislation and regulation. Our regulatory functions cover all aspects of civil aviation, including certifying, registering and overseeing aircraft, aviation personnel, airlines, aerodromes, air navigation service providers, training schools and other aerospace businesses. This also includes setting passenger charges at Dublin Airport and the en-route and terminal navigation charges for the services provided by AirNav Ireland in Irish airspace. We also license airlines from an economic perspective; license ground-handling service providers at airports and travel agents; set capacity and co-ordinate slots at Dublin Airport; oversee the regulations on air passenger rights and assistance to passengers with reduced mobility. More recently, we have been assigned responsibility for the European Accessibility Act as it relates to airlines. We have also been assigned additional roles related to the critical entities resilience directive, the network and information systems directive, NIS2, and ReFuelEU, which sets mandates on the use of sustainable aviation fuel in the EU. The IAA is subject to ongoing audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, both of which are external to Ireland.

Our current strategy for 2023-25 is available on the IAA site and sets out our seven key objective areas for the IAA, namely, effective regulation, consumer protection, stakeholder engagement, our people and organisation, innovation and collaboration, exercising influence and environmental responsibility. While considering this strategy of the IAA, it should be noted it is not a function of the IAA to set aviation policy for Ireland. That function remains with the EU, the Government and the Department of Transport. We provide expert advice as and when requested.

I will briefly address the specific matters mentioned in the invite letter from the committee. The management of Irish airspace is conducted on behalf of the State by the air navigation service provider AirNav Ireland, which was formerly a function of the IAA until May 2023. The IAA regulates the service provider on two distinct fronts. First and most important, we are the safety and security regulator. We conduct oversight of AirNav Ireland in accordance with the applicable ICAO and EU regulatory requirements. Second, we are the national supervisory authority under the single European sky regulation which determines the charges AirNav can levy airspace users. This role also includes approving capital investments and setting incentives and targets for capacity and environmental performance for AirNav Ireland.

On air traffic safety, the EU and Irish air traffic management systems have an excellent safety record. The IAA meets its oversight objectives through the provision of a comprehensive risk-based regulatory oversight system, safety management processes which help us focus our regulation towards areas of greatest concern, ongoing monitoring of safety performance, promotion of a positive safety culture and a fair and proportionate regulatory framework. Eurocontrol, the body responsible for network management in Europe, briefed this committee last year on the capacity challenges facing the aviation industry and how efficiency gains can be achieved through the single European sky legislation update.

Specifically on commercial aviation, the IAA oversees commercial aviation organisations, which include aircraft operators, aviation design and manufacturers, maintenance, maintenance management organisations, training organisations - this includes pilots, engineers and air traffic controllers - aerodrome operators, cargo consigners, travel agents, air navigation service providers, ground handlers and other related services to aviation. In addition, we license circa 25,000 personnel who support these activities. These are pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers. The scope of these activities ranges from large airlines, for example, Ryanair and Aer Lingus, to smaller enterprises such as niche production and maintenance organisations.

As a general summary, commercial aviation in Ireland continues to grow and provide high-quality jobs. Continued growth will depend on how we address the projected shortage of key staff, particularly aircraft maintenance engineers. There are also opportunities to grow pilot training capacity in Ireland, particularly in the regional areas. Aviation is essential for any modern society to function and thrive, with more than 90% of people setting foot in Ireland doing so by air. It should be considered in the context of any essential utility which the whole population must be able to access and benefit from, such as water, electricity, broadband, mobile phone coverage, trains, buses and roads.

Similar to every other utility, it has an environmental impact which needs to be improved. There are four key pillars to reducing the environmental impact of aviation. The first is aircraft and engine technology; second is the operational improvements and improvements in the airspace and airport efficiency; third is sustainable aviation fuel; and fourth is market-based measures, including ReFuelEU which mandates the use of SAF and for which we have been established as the authority in Ireland for certain aspects of this. We have established our sustainable aviation division which will oversee its implementation.

There are three distinct areas under consumer protection overseen by the IAA, namely, accessibility of air transport, air passenger rights where there is a disruption, and insolvency protection for consumers of travel agents and tour operators. On accessibility, we are the compliance authority under the European Accessibility Act which came into effect across the EU on 28 June 2025. The EAA introduces new EU-wide accessibility requirements for digital services and support services, ensuring passengers with disabilities can travel end-to-end with greater independence and confidence. We also oversee the provision of physical assistance to disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. Regarding air passenger rights, we oversee the regulation which ensures passengers are looked after by their airline in the event of a flight cancellation or long delay.

I have tried to be as brief as possible in the opening submission which I hope has brought some clarity on the various roles we have. We are happy to address any questions the committee may have.