Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This week's meeting of the European Council comes at a critical time for many economic sectors in member states. That is very true for Ireland. The pandemic has left a trail of damage in its wake, taking the lives of thousands in Ireland and hundreds of thousands across the European bloc. This has brought significant suffering to Europeans, presenting fundamental challenges to our economy and our way of life.

From the outset of this crisis, EU member states have acted in good faith with one another, working together to share information and respond to an unprecedented challenge not seen in the past century. The development of more reliable vaccines in a short time has been nothing short of remarkable. Moreover, the ability we have demonstrated in terms of solidarity, bearing in mind some early bumps on the road in terms of supply, to efficiently roll out a vaccine to our peoples has given real hope for a timely and much wanted return to an open society.

As a united bloc, we must now consider the medium-term prospects for the Irish and European vaccination programmes and the economy, both of which are intrinsically linked. I believe in a strong vaccination response, one that avails of continued co-operation with nation states outside of the EU, as well as pharmaceutical companies and production sites. We cannot have certainty without open dialogue. I urge all of our partners to continue to engage with each other to avoid any potential pitfalls.

I also believe that we in Europe are among the most privileged in the context of vaccines. From such a position, it is, therefore, right that we ask if we can do more to help ease the burden on nations still struggling to control the virus. Encouraging a global take-up of vaccines in as short a time as possible will benefit everyone living in Europe and allow us to avoid delays in our reopening. We know that it is a matter of time before further Covid-19 variants emerge. We do not yet know what some of these variants might look like and what might be the ramifications of a further aggressive strain emerging. That is why we must act.

The European Union has the means and capability to extend the hand of friendship around the world and supply millions with protection from Covid-19 which will, in turn, leave a legacy of hope in what has been an incredibly difficult time for the world. I commend organisations such as UNICEF on their efforts in providing vaccines to the most vulnerable around the world. I hope Ireland can also bring the issue to the heart of the UN and advocate for those very same people. I am aware of COVAX and the European Union's ambition but I would like to see more being done. Allowing other countries with the facilities to produce vaccines the ability to do so through waiving vaccine patents is a step which should be encouraged. Like all Members, I was very heartened by the steps in some jurisdictions and by some companies in this regard. This can transform the speed at which we can reduce the impact of Covid-19 on lives around the world.

I spoke earlier about the unity in which the EU has acted throughout the pandemic. We are already on the path to dealing with the recovery in a united manner. This is evidenced in the EU recovery and resilience plan under which approximately €750 billion will be provided, of which Ireland will receive nearly €1 billion. However, I would repeat that which has been said by some of my colleagues on the detail of that €917 million package. The House has not had the opportunity to assess that or to determine what is appropriate in terms of where the money should be expended. I note from attending various committees over the past number of weeks that no committee has been provided with any information. That is somewhat of a short-sighted approach to the provision of almost €1 billion.

Despite these positive developments, there remains a clear difference between Ireland and the rest of the EU in respect of one critical sector of the economy. The Ceann Comhairle will not be surprised to hear that is aviation, an issue which I have raised in this House on many occasions over the past number of months. As has been said countless times over the past 18 months, it was the first and most badly affected industries in Ireland. However, unlike many industries that were severely curtailed, the aviation sector remains in a situation where it is unclear as to many of the aspects on which it requires clarity in order to fully restore it to its previous position of strength. Recent reports regarding air traffic in the EU suggest we saw a recovery of up to 50% as compared to 2019. Air traffic in Ireland, however, is expected to lag behind this average recovering to just 43%. More disturbing are the recent published figures from the Central Statistics Office which showed that, in April of this year, daily passenger traffic through Irish airports stood at just 4,700 people. This represents just 4.5% compared to the level seen in 2019. At that same moment in April of this year, American Airlines was hiring new pilots.

These figures and facts cannot be ignored. The alarm bells are ringing and the industry is calling on us to act. Thousands of jobs are on the line on top of the 4,000 already lost. Providing a clear path to restoring consistent and safe travel in Ireland is of paramount need. We must learn from the experiences of other nations and use all available to tools to deal with the issue with the urgency it requires.

While I am pleased the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, has written to the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, requesting a trial of antigen testing within the aviation sector, I believe it is several months too late and most certainly will be too late for some within the sector. It is my firm belief that Ireland should introduce antigen testing for the aviation industry, most especially for vaccinated individuals. I listened carefully to the transport committee hearing with Dr. Holohan and his colleagues last week. What was effectively discussed was a second layer of testing alongside PCR. I do not think that is what other EU nations are doing and I am not convinced it is what we should be doing, particularly as it applies to individuals who have been vaccinated. We lag behind many of our European partners in this respect.

We will reap the consequences of that in the event that we do not regularise antigen testing in our travel hubs. Further clarity must also be given with respect to children who are travelling. We must acknowledge that children will be among the last to be vaccinated. While in Europe many parents of young children are vaccinated or due to be vaccinated shortly, this underscores the importance of setting coherent plans for travel. It will provide clarity to both passengers and the industry as more people begin to plan a return to international travel on 19 July.

If we are sincere in our commitment to the aviation sector, we must recognise its extraordinary contribution to the Irish economy in supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, creating billions of euro in revenue and connecting Ireland to the world. We must put into action what we commit to and deliver results for the industry which we desperately need to help at this time. An assistance scheme for testing for travel should be provided, as has been provided in other EU member states. I would like to see Ireland follow those countries. We are an island off the coast of the world. We need our aviation sector and we need to find supports for it. We need these in place before 19 July.

The digital green certificate is a welcome EU initiative and there is clearly a place for more information to be provided to the public in advance of unfettered travel in July. It is incumbent on the Government to move appropriately to provide the public information campaign in due course. As we begin to look towards an increase in return to international travel, the EU should engage with our partners around the world, most notably the UK and the United States, in order to facilitate reciprocal agreements and recognition of official documentation. The upcoming EU meeting this week is another opportunity to press for these developments which will contribute to providing certainty for the wider travel and hospitality sector. Our hospitality sector is important and will have a good summer with domestic travel. It will benefit even more, however, with international travel to these shores.

Also to be discussed at this upcoming meeting will be the increasing belligerent behaviour of the Russian Government. For some years now we have seen Russia threaten countries attempting to move towards EU values, interfere with the domestic democratic processes of EU member states and exert its influence on its own people, notably journalists and opposition leaders. We cannot stand by and allow this behaviour to go unchecked. To do so would be to encourage all those who have been unfaithful to the principles of democracy around the world, as well as here in Europe.

Russia is interested in destabilising the EU because all governments which lean towards authoritarianism fear the values that we hold dear, namely, a free press, an independent judiciary and the right of people to freely choose their leaders. We in Europe learn these developments and values the hard way. We saw the suffering and pain caused by extreme political ideologies and undemocratic leaders. We resolved to build a better union, one in which freedom is paramount and despots are unwelcome. Unfortunately, some lessons of the past cannot be forgotten.

We now see member states, namely, Hungary and Poland, in direct contradiction of the values of the EU. We see those attacks on media and on the courts in an effort to suppress criticism of the government and we should be under no illusion that these events have been welcomed in Russia. We must send a clear message to Russia, in respect of those who would do their bidding in Europe, that their actions will be met by repercussions.

In my remaining minute, I want to talk briefly about solidarity with members of the LGBTQ+ community across Europe. We have seen infringement of their rights in two member states and have seen further infringements of their rights across other member states in recent months and years. In Pride month it is appropriate for me, as a member of Parliament in Ireland, to stand in solidarity with my brothers and sisters in the gay community right across Europe because it is very important that we recognise that we are all equal and the laws should reflect that. That is why it is particularly disheartening to see a country like Poland and other countries act in contradiction of the principles of the EU. There is a context for a wider debate on how there could be consequences for an EU member state if it is found to be acting in a way that is unfitting with the principles of the EU.

I wish the Taoiseach well in his upcoming EU meeting and I look forward to our continued co-operation with our EU partners.

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