Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I have been meeting the aviation industry throughout, particularly in the Covid period. I met the board of the Dublin Airport Authority several months ago as well as the airlines and I meet all three airports regularly. It has been a difficult time. It was very difficult managing through Covid but we have absolutely been focused on what is in the interest of the Irish public and the travelling public to make sure they are served. They were not served last weekend. Everyone accepts that. It was totally unacceptable. Mistakes were made in rostering and in making sure there were enough people. It is inexcusable. It seriously let down the airport, the workers and the country. That is agreed. We have to rectify it. Myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, have been meeting the airport authorities every day to make sure they do put plans in place to make sure it does not happen again. They cannot guarantee that but we will make sure that everything is done to avoid it.

At a meeting this morning, they said that some 225 new staff are in place. It will take another three weeks with about an additional 30 staff a week as they come out of training. They committed this morning to hire and train a further 100 staff to make sure they have room for any eventuality so that what happened does not happen again. We in government will do whatever we can to support them to avoid that.

They made a mistake - I think it was in May 2020 - when the original decision was made to apply the redundancy scheme. Too many workers were let go. That is clear now but the critical thing the Irish public wants to know is that the additional staff will be put in place so that they can get through the airport without missing a flight and without being put through a triage system that requires them to stand outside the concourse. That is only there in case of emergencies. It will be introduced this weekend but only on a very small-scale basis. In the event that anyone is restricted from entering, they should not be standing outside in wet weather. That is not how airports can or should run.

Dublin Airport has a long history and is an excellent airport. The staff and management there have real skills in running airports and they need to get back to that. They can and will do that and the Irish public will not have to queue for two-and-a-half hours. However, it is important that we put out the message that the public arrives within the timelines suggested. This morning it was slightly difficult because, again, a lot of people probably arrived too early. Following advice about when to arrive is the first thing we need to do. It will be managed and people will get through. I am confident about this weekend and the summer period. If it does not happen, we will have to take further measures. Nothing will be avoided to ensure Irish passengers do not have that uncertainty or huge stress. When you are meant to go on your holiday, starting with huge uncertainty over whether or not you will make it is the last thing we can tolerate or accept.

We could spend the whole time scoring points or just talking down about people or kicking them in the process. The key thing is to make it work. That is what the workers and the management in Dublin Airport are committed to doing. It is not just those airports. It is happening in airports throughout the world. We see the neighbouring island's airports suffering the same but that does not excuse it. No one will make excuses. We will make sure it works and make sure the travelling public is not inconvenienced because that is what it expects.

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