Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response on the aviation strategy as it relates to airports such as Shannon, Cork and Farranfore. I also heard what he said about the recovery of aviation. However, this was not unpredictable. Airlines sold flights, so the number of people who would be flying out of Dublin Airport last weekend was utterly predictable. Clearly, there was a serious problem, a serious failure of workforce planning.

In terms of the issue of staff conditions and pay, the trade unions at Dublin Airport have been raising this for some time. There is a serious issue again with retention of staff and that is related to the pay levels and the conditions that apply to staff at the airport. That has to be addressed to ensure we do not see these shortfalls on an ongoing basis. I repeat our concern about Dublin Airport effectively becoming a low-cost airport at a time when inflation is rising above 8% today and there is a cost-of-living crisis that is really biting into so many people's pockets and incomes. That is why the Labour Party has been saying that Ireland needs a pay rise and why we have been pushing for enactment of a Bill that would transform the minimum wage into a living wage. We call on the Government to adopt the principle in our Bill. That would bring about a much quicker transformation, a much speedier increase in the incomes people earn and would address some of the issues with low pay that are affecting staff numbers in Dublin Airport and in so many other places around the country.

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