Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

It is welcome that a task force is to be set up for the recovery of this particular sector. It is probably one of the most exposed sectors in terms of the impact of Covid-19. I welcome the fact that a representative from the trade unions will be included but there is a wide range of opinion within trade unions. It is wildly different for a person who is an airline pilot represented by the Irish Air Line Pilots Association as opposed to someone who is a baggage handler. It will be important for the total views of the trade union movement to be captured in the context of this task force.

It is terrible to read some of the emails we are receiving from people who have got news that their jobs are lost or who are now on seriously reduced salaries but who must manage the commitments they have. There is a wide range of opinion, including people who have views on the 14-day isolation period. The views are right across the spectrum.

The importance of an airport to a region is great indeed. In the Shannon region, we can count the cost of the airport and keeping operations going there. The region benefits greatly from it. The Dublin region is far wider than the Dublin area in terms of from where the personnel who are employed in the airport come. As the Minister is aware, it is quite a wide footprint.

There is a concern that some of what is happening is both opportunistic and unreasonable. That is why it is really important that voices can be heard in the context of this task force.

As we all know, new regulations are in place and it is now mandatory to fill in the form at the airport but unless the Government is going to enforce the guidance for self-isolation, that it all it is, mere guidance. It is important that we know where people are in order that they can be tracked if someone proves positive; that is the point of it. However, if the self-isolation aspect is not enforced, we have to ask about its value. There were some follow-up calls to the first iteration of the form and many people did not follow through or did not answer calls and so on. That has to be closely monitored.

We saw the impact of people arriving from northern Italy early in the pandemic when that area was the epicentre in Europe. It was critical in the spread of the virus in Ireland.

This sector will be important in our management of the throughput of people. We cannot ignore the fact that we are an island. As we require connectivity, we need a recovery of the sector as soon as possible.

I share the concerns about who is making policy. I listened to the Minister's opening statement in which he referred to social distancing on airlines. We are being told by Ryanair or Mr. Michael O'Leary that, from 1 July, the intention is not to social distance but to require people to wear face masks. Does NPHET have a view on this? Are those the conditions under which flights will operate? If NPHET said it would be fine, then that would be an important component, but I have not heard NPHET say anything like that. The Minister will have to address this matter. Otherwise, policy is being made by the airline operator as opposed to with public health considerations in mind.

Many of us have views on the roadmap and whether it is overly rigid in some respects. Regarding this sector, some countries use a traffic light system for flights coming from areas that are not managing containment of the virus as well as they are themselves. We are in an unfortunate a position with our nearest neighbour, the UK, although we have to differentiate. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are managing the virus slightly differently but there is no doubt that its management in England is problematic. It certainly has not been as well managed as in Ireland. Other European countries and parts of the world have handled it differently and well.

Travel is a critical risk factor. While no one wants to restrict movement, the question we must ask is how to allow safe movement. If we can safely allow movement via a traffic light system, it should be considered.

Will the Minister address the issue of social distancing? He mentioned separation on planes. Will he reiterate the situation in that regard? We are being told that, from 1 July, Ryanair will see a scaled-up level of movement. Has health advice been sought on the number of people on flights and on the issue of people travelling from jurisdictions where there is a high incidence of the virus? People will be asked to self-isolate, but is it likely that a differentiator will be applied when following up with people who have come from areas that are highly infected?

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