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

I have many. I did not want to forget the Deputy's comments and I wanted to give a rundown through my constituency. In the context of this debate, however, the most important part of my constituency is Dublin Airport. The aviation sector supports more than 150,000 jobs and provides billions of euros to our economy. I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for being present, particularly as this is a very important and timely debate.

Many of my colleagues on these benches and those opposite have gone into detail on the supports that are there and the supports that should perhaps be extended and I agree with them. The knock-on effect of a damaged aviation sector will have a profound effect on the tourism sector, which supports several hundred thousand other jobs in our country. The ESRI and other bodies stated very recently that a strong economic bounce back is expected but we must ensure it is translated into the aviation and tourism sectors.

I welcome the recent news of a tourism strategy, which, I believe, the Minister launched. We should hyperfocus in particular on the transatlantic routes and the US market which is so crucial to Aer Lingus in particular. A significant number of cabin crew in particular are on 60% of their wages at present. This translates to 40% when we remove their duty roster payments. As the Minister and Minister of State will understand, it is exceedingly difficult to operate on 40% of wages, particularly given the number of households that employ pilots, co-pilots, ground crew, cabin crew and everything else. This is very common in Swords and other communities in the Dublin Fingal local authority area.

We have wonderful tourist attractions in my constituency. I will not go through the list of them. I would say that the Office of Public Works did a very good service to the State when it made its sites free when travel was permitted. This is something we should consider rolling out until such time as it can be determined that the sector has recovered.

Hospitality provides us with thousands of jobs throughout the country, particularly for young people who get their first job in the sector. I know there are a number of small businesses that are really struggling to get people to take up employment. This is something we need to assess. Many people have said it is because of the pandemic unemployment payment. I am not sure I agree given that only approximately 100,000 people remain on it. There are things we need to re-evaluate in terms of how we support small businesses, particularly in the tourism sector.

I want to get a little parochial. I was very pleased to see the national development plan include a proposal for funding towards the Broadmeadow project, which is part of the programme that will eventually see pedestrianised walkways and cycle tracks running from Balbriggan to Howth and that will link with the Sutton to Sandycove project in Dublin city.

This is a vital piece of tourism infrastructure in the constituency and will be a linchpin, along the lines of what the Wild Atlantic Way did to certain places on the west coast. This particular route is very significant for north Dublin and I have been a wholehearted supporter of it for many years.

I will make a final remark on the recovery of the sector, in particular aviation, and the fact that so many people are on reduced incomes. We need to continue to support them into next year and for as long as we possibly can. The sector will rebound; we just have to continue supporting it.

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