Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 20, 23, 29, 34, 42, 62, 66 and 79 together.

I thank Deputy Smith for this question. It is a very important one on an important issue; it is a critical matter. I have already set out to the House a number of immediate steps that I have taken to ensure the restricted air traffic control service operating in Baldonnel is restored to full service. In May, this issue was brought to the attention of my Department. It is a very frustrating issue, in many ways, because it shows how dependent we are on a very small number of people. I do not cast any aspersion on them; people are perfectly entitled to move and everything else, but it is a small number of people. If a certain number of people leave a service, the whole service finds itself at reduced capacity. We have got to move beyond that.

A request was made when I brought together the Chief of Staff, the head of the Air Corps and others that one of the practical measures the Government could take is to immediately introduce the service commitment scheme. There was a view, I think it is fair to say, from military leadership that this would be a significant and helpful step in ensuring the retention of people in the here and now to get the service back up and running to the 24-7 service that it needs. We took that decision on Tuesday at Cabinet. It is now a Government decision and it has been made. I have conveyed it to the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and they can now, I say respectfully, get on with it in terms of engaging with any individuals who may benefit. I know it is something that is recognised as significant by the Air Corps. This is just one of a number of things that need to happen because I think - and certainly hope - it will get us to a much better place. I hope it gets us to that place relatively rapidly.

There are clearly other things that need to happen, many of which are on the operational side as well. I have said very clearly to the leadership of the Defence Forces and my own leadership that we need to see a rolling series of updates on what they are doing in implementing the various recommendations. We have, as I said, introduced a service commitment scheme for air traffic control personnel. We have approved new promotion opportunities within the service. We are also open to the outsourcing of aspects of training provided. All of these individual actions are now in train and are aimed at ensuring that both existing personnel and those known to be considering leaving the service are actively incentivised to remain.

These actions build on other specific measures that have already been initiated as regards recruitment. It is important now that we see that action.

It is unusual - and I hope this shows the sense of urgency we are attaching to this - to take these steps outside of a pay process or outside of local bargaining. Local bargaining was the route through which I think the Government and others would have originally envisaged these matters being considered. The fact that we have separated this from local bargaining highlights the critical nature of getting this matter resolved.

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