Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I echo the call by my colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, to support the workers at Stobart Air. There has been much bad news relating to the aviation sector during the pandemic, including that of cabin crew losing their jobs in Shannon and ground staff losing their jobs in various locations. Those job losses did not happen in huge numbers but in consistent, small numbers that may not have made the national headlines. By God, they made the headlines in the communities I represent and they have had a huge impact on those affected and their families. The sheer number and scale of the Stobart Air job losses has sent a real shock wave through every other aviation company operating in this State. There is a feeling that the gates have opened and everything that has been threatening for the past year and more is now coming to pass.

The Minister of State, in fairness, gave a detailed opening statement in which she mentioned a large number of capital projects. It is quite incongruous that in Dublin Airport, for example, construction work is continuing on the huge additional runway project and on new buildings that are part of the expansion of the airport, while, at the same time, the sword of Damocles is hanging over workers of every grade there and in airports throughout the country. What is really going on? Is there an agenda on the part of aviation companies to use the pandemic to change their terms and conditions of employment, get rid of employees on good contracts and replace them with workers on yellow-pack contracts? We have to start asking that question.

There is money going into capital projects in the aviation industry but jobs are not being protected, which is the key concern. Retaining the jobs and experience of the people working in the industry must be the priority. Everything else comes after that. We have been banging our heads against a brick wall talking about job protection being above all else. Yes, the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, has helped. There is no doubt that supports have been put in place that have helped. However, jobs are being lost now. What has happened to the Stobart Air workers and the Aer Lingus cabin crew in Shannon shows that jobs are being lost in huge numbers. Unfortunately, there is no confidence among aviation workers that there is a level of engagement between the Government and the aviation companies to protect jobs. There is Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, funding but that has to be drawn structurally, it is commercial and all of that. It is not cutting through to the workers simply to say that, come 19 July and the months following it as, we hope, aviation takes off safely, their jobs will still be there. People have less confidence in that outcome now than they did a year ago. That is the concern.

I want to talk about antigen testing, which has been discussed a great deal this week. No one is saying antigen testing is a silver bullet. We on this side of the House are not saying that and nor are people in the industry. This issue is getting a lot of attention this week because the argument has been on whether antigen testing can be part of the solution. Many eminent medical scientists and professionals believe it can be part of a solution that would include PCR testing and all the other measures to which we have become accustomed. The Minister of State mentioned in her statement that her Department has engaged on several occasions with senior Ministers. Correspondence dated 11 May set out a number of issues, including a consideration of whether antigen testing should replace RT-PCR testing for international travel, initially on a pilot basis. That is concerning because nobody has asked that antigen testing replace PCR testing. The call is that they be used in concert. PCR testing could be used for passengers on the way out but we may need antigen tests for people on the way in. We are asking that antigen testing be put on top of the existing structure, to make it a bit more flexible where it can, but without in any way weakening what we already have.

I have real concerns that the right questions are not being asked on this issue, including by the Minister of State's Department to the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET. We had a clear statement from NPHET yesterday, following questions I raised, stating that it had not heard from the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, or the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. This morning during Question Time, the Minister said he has written to NPHET to ask that antigen testing be trialled for aviation. He said that this morning. The Minister of State has indicated in her statement this afternoon that she has written to NPHET on this matter. It is good that she has but if she is asking the wrong question, what is the point? There is huge confusion and anger on this issue and that anger and confusion is only growing.

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