Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I accept the Deputy's point, which Deputy Broughan also made, on the stresses on this job. It is an extremely onerous job which requires great concentration. Many lives are at stake and from that point of view it is stressful, I accept that. Any of us in this House or elsewhere would say we all have stresses in our jobs, but air traffic controllers have many lives in their hands at any one time. That is why the overtime agreement is voluntary, not compulsory. People do not have to do it, and when they do it, labour laws are respected. The Deputy's information on trainees is accurate.

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