Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this economic recovery plan. On the business side, I very much welcome the continuation of the 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector and the commercial rates waiver.

In my limited time, I want to deal with one specific aspect of the recovery plan, namely, aviation.

I am a Deputy in Limerick city. Shannon Airport is on our doorstep. It is critical in terms of connectivity. I very much welcome the funding put in place to date for the aviation sector in the economic recovery plan. We want to see the capital expenditure and operating expenses as multi-annual funding for airports like Shannon Airport.

Furthermore, there is a €20 million fund. Discussions are ongoing between Air Lingus and the Government for measures to be put in place with sufficient funding. I have no wish to use the word "conditions". The measures must ensure that Heathrow connectivity is through Shannon Airport and retention of the slots in future. Transatlantic flights must be resumed at Shannon Airport. There must be a cabin crew base at Shannon Airport. Why am I talking about that? It is not only about costs. If we have a base in Shannon, it guarantees early morning flights from Shannon Airport for the business community. If we do not have a base, that guarantee is no longer there and we cannot provide a competitive offering to the business and tourism sectors. The same applies in terms of transatlantic flights.

I am asking for the digital green certificate to be properly road-tested before 19 July. There can be no situation whereby it is not ready to be rolled out on 19 July. It has been announced publicly by the Government and we now have three weeks. Let us make certain that it works. When 19 July comes I would like to see flights resuming in the EU. The common travel area must be restored with the UK. There is need for discussions to take place between ourselves, Europe and the USA so that these arrangements can be restored. We are getting many calls from people who wish to travel to the United States. We have extensive connections there. Some areas are opening up albeit with some difficulty.

What I want is sufficient funding for Aer Lingus. Some 80% of flights in and out of Ireland were Aer Lingus or Ryanair pre-pandemic. The figure will be even greater as we resume the reopening of aviation. They must get sufficient funding to reopen but it must come with a balanced regional option with Heathrow slots operating out of Shannon and transatlantic. The digital green certificate must be road-tested heavily. We must ensure that when we resume travel to Europe, the common travel area with the UK and US transatlantic flights are opened up as well. This should be done with public health in mind.

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