Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. She is right. We are not the only ones who are discussing this matter. There are people the length and breadth of the country around their kitchen tables, as well as businesses and people abroad who are looking to come home over the summer, who are extremely concerned and worried about the potential strikes. Families have saved all year round for what are perhaps once-in-a-lifetime holidays. Businesses not just here but abroad depend on the ability to travel. Of course, there are people hoping to come home to see family or friends who have not been home for a long time. This impacts a huge number of people personally, as well as businesses the length and breadth of this country and outside it.

The only way a dispute of this kind can be resolved is by all parties getting around the table. I appreciate that a significant number of pilots have voted for this action, but I also believe that none of them want to see this type of disruption take place. None of them want to have this level of disruption impact all of our society. It is important that they and the employer, that is, Aer Lingus, get around the table. That is the only way in which these issues can be resolved.

There has been input from the industrial machinery of the State, through the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and the Labour Court. What is clear is that there is still quite a wide gap between what is being asked and what is being proposed. The only way this can be resolved is by all parties getting around the table and, if and where necessary, using the machinery of the State. If that means going back to the WRC, engaging and negotiating with the support of the State or re-engaging with the Labour Court, that is what the Government as a whole is proposing and what both Ministers have suggested.

I ask people to take a step back because the implications are far-reaching. There are implications for those who have holidays booked and wish to travel, as well as our reputation internationally. The disruption that this could cause is significant. The only way this can be resolved is by all parties coming around the table, taking a step back and looking at the potential implications and options to find a resolution. That is what the Government will continue to pursue and that is what our overall objective is, namely to reduce the implications and overall impact on everyone. It is about people getting around the table and trying to reach a conclusion and solution as quickly as possible.

See this speech in context