Mr. Michael O'Leary:

I do not think they get an unfair rap in the Irish media. I just think there is great ignorance in the Irish media. The Deputy is correct, although the actual figure is 2.4%. Aviation accounts for 2.4% of EU emissions. Marine transport accounts for 5% of Europe's CO2 emissions. When Sky News or George Lee want to show the globe warming up, they do not put up a picture of a ferry pulling out of Dún Laoghaire; it is always an aircraft taking off. There is a picture of an aircraft taking off and we can see the globe warming up behind the aircraft. Aviation accounts for 2.4% of Europe's CO2 emissions. We should pay a fair and reasonable environmental tax. The problem I have with environmental taxes on aviation is that long-haul flights to and from Europe account for 53% of that 2.4% and we completely exempt them from environmental taxes. The people who create the majority of the emissions are completely exempt. The minority are created by European short-haul flights.

By the way, they should pay their fair share. I do not have a problem with that, but it should be a fair share. Those of us living in Ireland on the periphery of Europe do not have a train or cycling alternative to get us to Brussels. We have to fly. We should pay our fair share, but that fair share should be extended to long-haul flights as well. It does not get an unfair rap. It just gets a lot of ill-advised coverage by much of the media. We consume carbon. There is no way we are going to electrify aviation this side of 2050. There is no such propulsion system that can get an aircraft up in the air. We are spending €20 billion on a fleet of new aircraft, with the first deliveries in 2027. Those aircraft carry 20% more passengers, burn 20% less fuel and are 50% quieter than even our existing fleet. The problem in or around Dublin Airport shortly will be that people will not be able to sleep because it will be too quiet. They will have forgotten what having an aircraft overhead between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. sounds like.

I thank Deputy O’Connor for his support. He has been a great supporter of Cork Airport. We are continuing to grow strongly in Cork Airport with the support of him and other Cork Deputies.