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

I also express my deepest sympathy to Ceara and the family of Tommie Gorman, the former RTÉ correspondent, on the sad and shocking news of his death, which has just emerged as we have been in this Chamber in the past hour. I hope we will have the opportunity to pay tribute. He was a tremendous journalist and correspondent for RTÉ for so long.

I welcome the news that both IALPA and Aer Lingus management were before the Labour Court, although separately, to discuss the state of play regarding the ongoing pay dispute. We all want to see more meaningful engagement with a view to achieving a resolution. We are also very aware of the enormously severe impact that even the threat of the dispute has had on so many individuals and families and, indeed, the knock-on effect within the economy. What has been unhelpful has been the media tit-for-tat in recent weeks. How does the Government propose to ensure that there will be meaningful engagement and that any further severe impact will be minimised? Does it have contingency plans should a resolution not be reached over the coming days?

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