Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

All of us in this House appreciate that the aviation sector is facing a very difficult period. It was booming before the pandemic but that has fundamentally changed. The pandemic has led to a dramatic reduction in air travel. It may be a very long time before it recovers because this pandemic will affect parts of the world for years. That will have an impact on air travel. I also believe that the adoption of new technologies such as videoconferencing will mean that there will be much less business travel in the years ahead. Business travel is the most profitable area of air travel. This means that we may see fewer routes and fewer people travelling for quite some time.

There is also the impact of climate change, to which aviation contributes. I understand that it is the policy of Deputy Barry's party, or, if not his, one of the other far-left parties, to nationalise the airlines again and wind them down as part of the response to climate change. I am not sure the Deputy tells that to the workers in Shannon or Cork but that is the policy of some on the far left and some who describe themselves as eco-socialists.

On this issue, it is important that engagement happens between the company and the union.

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