Nessa Cosgrove (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in. I will ask about the IAA strategy and effective regulation. If regulation is not effective, it is not really regulation at all. The stands out for me.

This is about the transportation of weapons of war. I know from replies to questions submitted to the Minister for Transport that between October 2023 and June 2025 no exemptions were requested or granted for the carriage of munitions to any part of Israel. I do not know whether I fully believe that, but I will take the Minister at his word. I wonder about the regulation part. How effectively can we regulate to say that no munitions of war are being carried on Irish aircraft, despite looking for exemptions. We regulate all our other sectors, including those relating to nursing homes, early years education and schools. Does the IAA have the power to improve regulation? How can we assist it in doing that? Is the oversight? I would imagine aircraft should expect to be inspected, like other sectors expect they will be inspected. That is what I wonder about effective regulation.