Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I want to focus on the question of airline vouchers, which was mentioned previously. Tens of thousands of people are legally entitled to a cash refund within seven days for flights that have been cancelled. They are being obstructed by airlines, including Ryanair, which are trying everything to avoid people availing of their legal rights. Even the vouchers that are being offered to them are less than their legal rights in terms of vouchers. They have an expiry date of one year when people are entitled to at least a five-year expiry date. People are entitled to cash refunds.

The Minister said that if people are entitled to cash they should get cash. Is it not the case that the Minister, along with a series of other member states, co-signed a statement calling for that right to be rescinded? The joint statement on airline vouchers calls for that right to be rescinded, for airlines to be able to give vouchers, and for people not to be able to avail of their legal right to cash refunds. In other words, the Minister took the side of the airlines against the customers, effectively enforcing the idea of a bailout for airlines being forced on consumers.

I asked the Taoiseach about this a couple of weeks ago. He said he knew nothing about it and the Government had made no decision. As I understand it, this statement emerged from a meeting of transport ministers which the Minister attended. Will the Minister explain whether that was his position at the time and if it is no longer his position?

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