Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That plane crashed that night. All nine passengers on board, including Mexico's interior minister, were killed, as well as seven people on the ground, which was 16 people killed in total. It is very important that technology is kept up to date and kept safe. Many years ago I used to pilot planes myself. Pilots do not like taking to a plane that is unsafe or may not be fully up to spec in its equipment or maintenance. It is important not just for government purposes, although that is what everyone will hone in on here, but for humanitarian missions and medical evacuations. I know people in my constituency who have been taken to life-saving surgeries in other countries. This is so important for our country. We cannot expect members of the Government to be going around in rickshaws and we cannot just magic children who are overseas or Irish people who need to be repatriated home. We need a way of getting them home safely and I think this is a sensible decision.

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