Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I appreciate Deputy Broughan sharing time with me. It is regrettable that the Minister for Transport chose to slip out of this Chamber after the vote a few minutes ago and was not prepared to stay and respond to this debate. I welcome the presence of the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Noel Ahern, tonight.

The 1,100 workers in SR Technics were devastated when they were told last month that they were to lose their livelihoods. The very least they deserve from the Minister for Transport is respect, basic information and answers to their questions. Workers have posed four straight questions to the Minister and they deserve straight answers:

When were you, as Minister for Transport, made aware of the fact that the D.A.A. management were in negotiation with SR Technics Group Management for the return of the leases on the Hangars at Dublin Airport?

Is the D.A.A. complicit in the closure of SR Technics to allow for the future development of Dublin Airport?

As 25% stakeholder in Aer Lingus are you aware of any part Senior Management of that company played in assisting this closure?

How is the D.A.A. paying Mubadala Development Company (SR Technics AG) for the leases of the hangars at Dublin Airport?

Workers are entitled to know the answers to those questions and what, if anything, the Government is prepared to do to save this company. The Minister for Finance, and three Ministers of State, Deputies Noel Ahern, Pat Carey and Trevor Sargent all represent the north side of Dublin yet nothing is being done to save this viable company. Some 1,100 jobs are going down the Swanee and it seems no action is being taken to save them.

What actions will the Ministers for Transport and Enterprise, Trade and Employment take to ensure that the SR Technics workers get a fair and just severance package? What will they do about the shortfall in the SR Technics pension fund? In addition, 300 SR Technics staff are part of the Irish Airlines superannuation fund. As a stakeholder in Aer Lingus and owner of the DAA the Government is a significant contributor to this scheme which is also underfunded. What will the Minister do to ensure that SR Technics honours its responsibilities to both pension funds? How can the Minister for Transport and his Cabinet colleagues stand idly by while the mega-rich Mubadala Investment Company abdicates its responsibility to its Irish workforce? It is the job of Government to protect Irish jobs and defend the rights of Irish workers. The Minister has done neither. It is time for action. We cannot afford the cost to the economy, and particularly to the north side of Dublin, of doing nothing. SR Technics workers deserve much better than this.

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