Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I note the Minister stated he is going to step in and help to fund the public transport system so that it can get through the crisis. That is very welcome, and particularly so for the workers and their families who rely on it for their livelihoods and for users. We must note the strain Bus Éireann, Irish Rail and Dublin Bus are under because of the cash shortages being experienced.

I also wish to comment on air connectivity. I welcome Ryanair's announcement yesterday that from 1 July, it will seek to get back to 90% capacity on its routes. That is good and the public has broadly welcomed that announcement, subject to the existing guidelines. I ask the airlines, including Aer Lingus, to try to step up to the mark a little better regarding refunds. I had communication from the CEO's office in Ryanair recently following a representation I made which stated the airline has 5 million refunds to get through before getting to those for April. A bit of urgency is required there by the airlines.

Regarding the region I come from, what is the Minister going to do to help Shannon Airport? The mid-west region, which comprises Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and north Kerry, relies on Shannon Airport as a key factor in our regional competitiveness and as a driver for the region. Difficulties are being experienced and I would like to hear what the Minister is going to do in that regard. We know Shannon Airport has been experiencing a fall-off in passenger market share since separation, sadly.

I also want to make special mention of the Aer Lingus crew members who are based out of Shannon. There are almost 100 ground crew and pilots based out of Shannon. Has the Minister had engagement with Aer Lingus to ensure that both Ryanair and Aer Lingus keep their bases in Shannon for the foreseeable future?

I will remark briefly on tourism and the hospitality sector. Basically, what the Government has offered to date is not good enough. If we have no employers, we will not have jobs for people to go back to. The suite of measures which have been offered is simply not good enough. These businesses need cash grants and liquidity to get back into operation as soon as possible. They also need cheaper finance. Financing through AIB and Bank of Ireland at a margin of 5% simply is not good enough. We need to see the zero percent liquidity and funding which is available from Europe coming through at zero cost to these businesses to allow them to reopen.

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