Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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60. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the way that he intends to engage with the Dublin Airport Authority throughout the rest of 2022; his priorities for the company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30902/22]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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What is the plan regarding engagement with the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, throughout the rest of the year? The Minister of State has had intense engagement in the last few weeks as the situation in the airport reached crisis point and then disaster levels a few weekends ago. While we have seen some improvement in services, not least because of the massive redeployment of emergency staff, I would like to know what the plans are to ensure the experience at the airport improves and will be on a solid footing throughout 2022 and beyond.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for this question and the opportunity to update the House on the current situation at Dublin Airport. We can all agree that the passenger experience at Dublin Airport recently has fallen far short of the service that passengers should expect at our largest State airport. The DAA, as we all know, has the statutory responsibility to operate and manage Dublin Airport, including all the operations associated with security screening. The immediate priority is to ensure that Dublin Airport passengers can have confidence they will not miss their flights when they arrive on time at the airport.

Following the unacceptable level of service experienced by passengers and the undue stress they endured, particularly on Sunday, 29 May, I re-established daily meetings with the CEO and senior management in the DAA. I conveyed to the representatives of the DAA my disappointment and frustration at the situation and emphasised the importance of the DAA setting out a detailed plan to address it and the urgent need to restore passenger confidence in Dublin Airport. The DAA outlined its plan and the operational changes to be made in advance of the bank holiday weekend. These included maximising the availability of staff resources, increasing the number of security lanes open at peak times and improving queue management. While last weekend and the bank holiday weekend were extremely busy, queues moved smoothly with no reports of flights being missed.

I continue to engage with the DAA on its resourcing plan and the passenger experience at Dublin Airport. I am emphasising the importance of the airport management reassuring passengers that it is doing everything it can to deliver an acceptable passenger experience for all those departing from the airport. Though challenges remain, the DAA has advised that the measures it has taken will substantially mitigate risk into the busy summer period where passenger numbers are expected to increase by a further 10%.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for her update. There is no doubt that Herculean efforts have been made to ensure that passengers can transit through without missing their flights, but what is happening is having an impact. I would like the Minister of State to engage with Dublin Airport on a number of issues.

Regarding the special assistance and reduced mobility service the DAA provides, I have heard reports of people with reduced mobility being left on planes for extended periods of time as they are unable to get staff to assist them. From talking to workers I get the sense that the staff who usually do that work are stretched across other services. I ask the Minister of State to raise the matter with the DAA.

I have spoken extensively about the workers' experience, which is one of diminishing confidence in the DAA and declining job satisfaction. I would like the Minister of State to engage regarding the pay rates of the outsourced staff have been brought in, who are known within the airport as the purple vesters. Are these staff on higher rates of pay than the new security staff who have been brought in in recent months?

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I will raise those issues with the DAA, in particular special assistance. Workers' pay is an operational matter for the DAA. I met SIPTU representatives recently and conveyed my appreciation for passenger-facing staff, in particular, who are under huge pressure in the airport. They have been managing queues, clearing people through security, helping to board passengers and working in extremely difficult circumstances. The representatives raised with me the issue of staff who had done overtime and had not been paid. This matter was also raised with the DAA. It was a result of IT issues. There was a cyberattack. I am told by the DAA those issues are being resolved.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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I am glad to hear the Minister of State met workers' representatives and I hope that continues with SIPTU and the other unions representing workers in the airport. What we have learned and experienced over the past number of months is that there is a sense among workers and those connected to the airport that the ethos of the airport is changing. The idea that it is a place where people are proud to work, earn a good living and have a future through which they can progress is being eroded. That is something for which the State has responsibility, from an aviation policy perspective. It is the job of the Minister of State, through all of her engagements, to change that and ensure the DAA, as a State body, becomes a good employer which offers well paid jobs. The staff who are passenger-facing have done an unbelievable job. They have put smiles on their faces and have been fantastic in terms of getting passengers onto planes. However, beneath those smiles they are suffering and they need the support and backup of Government to ensure they can enjoy a long and successful career in the airport.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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We all want functioning State airports in Dublin and elsewhere. Part of the pressure is the understaffing in the airport and the shortage of labour, something which is hitting every sector. Since recruitment efforts were redoubled in March of this year, Dublin Airport has seen a significant interest in advertised positions. I understand it received more than 5,000 applications. At our weekly meetings we discuss staffing numbers, training and the deployment of new staff to help ease the pressure on current staff who are under extreme pressure in the airport.

The operation of an airport is not a matter for the Minister; it is a matter for the DAA which has a statutory obligation in this regard. The Deputy can be ensured that the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and I are monitoring the situation. We want to continue to ensure that passengers have confidence that they can get to their flights on time, make their holidays, meet family and friends internationally and take the stress away from international travel.