Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I believe the Deputy knows, there is no question of pulling down the shutters or circling the wagons. I have gone through the series of events and there is no interest of any description in not knowing the truth. The tragic reality and truth is that there was serious pilot error by the instructor and that Cadet Jevens bears no responsibility of any description.

No change in systems or any other issue that could have arisen had an impact, based on the reports and inquires that have been conducted, on the judgment made at the time which resulted in this dreadful tragedy.

I greatly sympathise with the family and I appreciate and how difficult it is to come to terms with such an awful event where one loses a son in circumstances that were not within his control. No one anticipates such a tragedy occurring in their lives and it is enormously difficult to come to terms with such an incident. I met the family previously and I am happy to meet them again. I do not know that a meeting can bring them the peace of mind that I wish them to have in difficult circumstances. Substantial time has been spent - it was time worth spending - by both officials in my Department and members of the Air Corps in seeking to assist and counsel the family and to provide them with as much information as possible.

In some correspondence I have received, there have been suggestions - or, as the Deputy said, people think there are implications - that Cadet Jevens has in some way, shape or form been found to be at fault. I have read all the reports and that is not derived from a single report. There is no such conclusion. I reiterate clearly that there is no question of his being in any way remotely to blame for the dreadful tragedy that occurred.

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