Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are all still shocked and appalled by what happened on 23 May, that being, the unlawful forced landing of a Ryanair flight at Minsk. It was a terror-like attack, risking the lives of more than 170 people, including EU citizens. It was an international crime and a continuation of the repression of the Belarusian people. It was an act of piracy against an Irish-registered plane with the tricolour on its fuselage. Since then, the EU has strengthened its pre-existing restrictive measures over the situation in Belarus by introducing a ban on the overflight of EU airspace and access to EU airports by Belarusian carriers of all kinds. EU member states are required to deny permission to land in, take off from and overfly their territories to any aircraft operated by the Belarusian carriers, including as marketing carriers.

Speaking as my party's spokesperson on aviation, it is important that this restriction be enforced. Is it being enforced across the EU? Is there any pushback from the awkward squad of the EU, specifically Hungary and Poland?

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