Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I dispute that this is common practice as Ireland has the only aviation authority in Europe using this model. It is possible to separate the authorities that collect revenue from airlines through the taxation system, for example, and the authority that regulates how the airlines operate. This goes to a bigger issue. The Minister states the safety of passengers was at the heart of the cancellations but that is not the case. Pilots are exiting Ryanair in their hundreds because there is a global shortage and the structures used by Ryanair to establish the employment of pilots is illegal elsewhere in Europe. It is highly irregular and is being investigated by two revenue groups in Britain and Germany. The governments in Britain and Germany are investigating pilots who live there for potential tax fraud. Imagine the stress this would put on pilots. There is a complex reason for this as the pilots are forced to be self-employed and their work is traded between various companies. Those companies and the pilots are being investigated. The pilots are also being pressurised to cut down on the use of fuel. It was denied that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport discussed that with the Irish Aviation Authority. This is a can of worms and a dirty game. Somebody is keeping quiet about many injustices and there is much money being made. What the Minister says is not true. This is highly irregular.

See this speech in context