Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I ask also that the Minister write to senior management in the two major airlines, for two separate reasons. The way in which Aer Lingus communicates with its staff and their unions has been very poor. The method of rather dour, foreboding video messages to staff - I am not sure whether the Minister has seen them - has just added to the overall sense of uncertainty, unease and despair in the workforce. This method of communication is not helpful and needs to be nipped in the bud, so I ask the Minister to write to the chief executive of Aer Lingus about that. I have done so.

My colleague, Deputy Joe O'Brien, referred to Michael O'Leary of Ryanair. Michael O'Leary has been indulged for far too long in this country - not by me but by many - as being this crown prince of capitalism, with Ryanair being this big economic success story. He has done this by trampling over the rights of workers, trade unions and indeed customers down through the years. We have all been in company where we have heard that if Michael O'Leary was in charge of the country, everything would be grand. Last week, however, his comments that flying is safe, that we should just mask up, get on an aeroplane and get on with it, flouted every interpretation of public health advice and showed once and for all, without any veil, what he truly is in his placing of profit above all else. It is absolutely disgraceful.

Ryanair are consistently grouped with Aer Lingus, DAA and Shannon as being - and they are - a key driver of the aviation industry and a major actor in it. It is absolutely abhorrent that such a cavalier approach and such cavalier and dangerous language are being used at a time when people are still scared to go down to their local shops.

Moreover, people are frightened when they see people in great numbers on local beaches or in local parks. To hear someone who has such agency and power in this State come out with such an attitude and with such comments is deeply unhelpful. It is important that a letter goes from the Minister's office in his name on behalf of the Government to Mr. O'Leary to indicate that will not be tolerated in the teeth of this pandemic. I will leave it there.

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