James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Durkan for the question. As he as said, there have been significant developments in this matter overnight and in the last couple of days which I very much welcome. My Department has been monitoring this industrial relations dispute for several weeks and I have been closely engaged since being appointed to this role this day last week. It is important to state that neither I nor the Minister, Deputy Ryan, have any statutory role or powers to exercise in this dispute. The industrial relations mechanisms of the State, mainly the Labour Court, are intensively engaged and are assisting the parties to this dispute to reach a resolution.

As is well known already, both parties to this dispute, Aer Lingus and the Irish Airline Pilots Association, IALPA, which is part of the Fórsa trade union, have availed of the assistance of both the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and the Labour Court in this dispute and have engaged more intensively in recent times. I very much welcome the fact that in the last few days the Labour Court formally intervened in the dispute using its statutory powers under section 26(5) of the Industrial Relations Act 1990, which enables the court, of its own volition, to enter into sessions with the parties and then to make recommendations. It is a very important procedure that is seldom used but which is entirely appropriate in this context. The procedure involved written submissions being made by both parties, after which the Labour Court held oral hearings. It is now considering what it has heard and will bring recommendations to the table. I hope that whatever recommendations the Labour Court makes will be given the fullest consideration and will be both acceptable to and accepted by both parties. As I said, this is a seldom-invoked procedure. Since enactment of the Industrial Relations Act in 1990 it has been invoked four or five times in three decades. The very fact of it being seldom used underlines the seriousness of the dispute and I trust that both parties will reflect on that very seriously and afford the mechanism the deference and consideration it deserves. I hope they will reflect on that and act accordingly.

I welcome the fact that the pilots' union has indicated that its members will not take any further strike action while the Labour Court recommendations are awaited and that it will ballot its members on those recommendations when they are made. The travelling public deserves no less. The people who are watching this dispute, who have holidays booked, travel plans made and engagements coming up, deserve no less and they need to know what is going to happen.

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