Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The National Civil Aviation Security Committee was constituted in 1974. From people in my Department I know this issue is taken extraordinarily seriously and regular checks take place. There were failures on that day but they were not catastrophic. There were specific issues tested that were not up to standard. I would not defend that and my views have been made well known. The security staff were disappointed in their performance and have looked to correct those issues. Security is an issue in all airports. The Dublin Airport Authority has been asked to manage the entire security operation to the best convenience of passengers. There is substantial recruitment of staff, 40 new people are already working there and extra X-ray areas and machines will facilitate greater efficiency.

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