Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are having constructive conversations with trade unions and employer groups as part of the LEEF subgroup, which is helping this engagement on the needs of the sector. In the Government's economic recovery plan, which was published on 1 June, we were clear that aviation was one of the sectors that would take longer to recover. Officials in my Department are considering further supports for the sector in order to protect jobs and ensure that we can restore much of our key connectivity at international level. Our airports know their business best. These supports would enable the airports to ensure such a restoration.

The number one call from the aviation industry was to reopen international travel, which we did on 19 July. Regarding further extensions of the EWSS, that will be a matter for the Minister for Finance and other Government colleagues, but I assure the House that all of these matters are under consideration.

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