Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

No, I am on my own. I will be brief enough. We need to acknowledge what clubs across the country have done. They have brought shopping to people who have been cocooning. This was especially the case for GAA clubs both in my area and right around the country. It is not only them however. Many other clubs have put their shoulder to the wheel and helped those people who were having a difficult time. We should acknowledge that and praise the work they did. I welcome what the Ministers have done with regard to the likes of the League of Ireland. It is important.

I have a few brief questions for the Minister of State, Deputy Griffin. Affiliations and funds in GAA clubs around the country are low. Indeed, that applies to soccer clubs, rugby clubs and all sports. Is there anything available to help them to keep ticking over and keep the lights on? Regarding the sports capital grants for 2020, when does he expect the programme to be open to clubs? I smiled when I heard Deputy Bríd Smith. If there is no pitch between the two canals, I wish some of them would come down the country. Sometimes we have to join teams together for smaller clubs so they would be quite welcome.

Turning to the Minister, I wish him well. When the clubs and all sports are getting up and running again, and in line with what Deputy Mattie McGrath said, when does he envisage the driver testing resuming for youngsters who might be starting college in September? They have the theory test done and have completed enough lessons. When can the driver testing get up and running again?

There is another matter I wish to raise. I do not expect the Minister to be aware of it but perhaps he is. At Dublin Airport there are proposals to lay off 30 staff from Boeing. There are 19 out of 23 engineers. Funnily enough, the Irish engineers were the first to get competence on the Boeing 737 MAX. The Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, issues the maintenance approval and then they have to get separate certificates for the different aeroplanes. Some engineers would have come here from England and got it. They are using it in Gatwick. It is ironic that nobody will be laid off in Gatwick even though they would not be Irish engineers. With Brexit approaching is the IAA aware that the E145 maintenance approval, as it is called, is being used in Gatwick? At the same time there is a threat that hangars will be closing in Dublin. While we must bear in mind that approximately 62% of the leasing of aircraft comes through this country, the staff were the first trained in Ireland.

Nobody denies that there are difficulties in the aviation industry, but there will also be opportunities. Can we ensure that those highly trained Irish people are not sacrificial lambs whereby places like Gatwick will stay open ahead of those in this country? It is ironic that many of the engineers in Gatwick were only taken on lately compared with the people here in Ireland. I ask the Minister to talk to the IAA about this E145 maintenance approval. I am not alleging anything, but I am saying that it would be worth examining. It is being used in England and if there is a hard Brexit how does that operate when it is a European approval? We have engineers here who are competent. They were the first to do it and they are flown all over the world. It gives them the right to do that once they have it. It is looking like they will be at home.

See this speech in context