Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has asked a number of technical questions and I will respond to him in writing with specific answers to some of those questions. I assure him that I am in the process of addressing issues, including the shortage of air traffic controllers and, as I stated, some personnel have almost completed their training. Another group of personnel started their air traffic control training on Monday last. Some pilots are coming through and I hope to increase the pilot cadetship in 2017.

I cannot address these issues overnight. These are a number of issues I inherited when I was appointed to this position. I am in the process of addressing them and I would be the first to put my hand up and say there is a shortage of personnel. That shortage is due to the fact that there are attractive positions outside the Air Corps. A number of things are happening in the background to address other issues regarding the retention of specific people who have a specific set of skills. This is not only an issue within the Air Corps, it is also an issue in the HSE and the Minister, Deputy Harris, would tell me that he is losing experienced personnel because there are more attractive packages outside of the organisations here. I am very much in the process of addressing that issue. I will respond in writing to the technical issues the Deputy raised.

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