Results 9,241-9,260 of 26,043 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We will now move on to Senator Buttimer. He has led on this issue in the committee and asked for the officials from the Commission for Aviation Regulation to come in. Senator Buttimer has five minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: What is the legislation under which this bond is in place and under which the Commission for Aviation Regulation operates? Which Department? What legislation does the commission operate under to look for bonds from the travel agents and tour operators? What is that legislation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Which Department?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Has CAR sought legal opinion? The commissioners have travel agents and tour operators coming to them with this issue. Has CAR sought legal opinion on the rules under which the merchant providers or banking providers operate in Ireland? Does the framework enable CAR to say that as long as travel agents and tour operators comply with the bonding requirement as set out under Irish law, CAR...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Under national legislation from the Department of Transport, the commission is dealing with travel agents that are legally registered in Ireland and operating here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I respectfully suggest that as part of our overall review of this, the commission would look to get legal opinion on whether its remit extends in that area. There is a lacuna here. The practical implication is that it may put travel agents and tour operators out of business in Ireland. Many jobs are involved in the tourism sector, so we ask the commission to examine that area. Beyond what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will conclude with a few questions. The bond that is paid is 4% of turnover for a travel agent and 10% for a tour operator. What turnover figure does the commission look at?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is that a calendar year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Do they have to pay physical cash?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Are they typically cash bonds or insurance bonds?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Am I correct in saying that the only person who has access to that bond is the customer? The merchant providers do not. Am I correct in that assumption?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: If a payment had been made to the travel agent, which it put through for the customer, and the entity it was dealing with becomes insolvent and the provider has paid the money, is it purely the customer that can submit a claim to the commission?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: The merchant providers have little, if any, contact with the commission on a financial level.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: This is slightly unrelated. I note that the Commission for Aviation Regulation is responsible for the scheduling, co-ordination and allocation of slots at Irish airports. How does that work? I assume that has nothing to do with the allocation of slots outside this jurisdiction.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is that the only airport? It does not arise in respect of Cork Airport or Shannon Airport.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: What does "constrained" mean?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Might I suggest that if more passengers were transferred to Shannon Airport and Cork Airport, there might not be the serious, continual congestion in Dublin Airport? I will bring Senator Buttimer back in. As it stands, it is clear from all members that there is a lacuna. We need to invite the merchant providers in. I suggest that we write to the Department of Transport. The legislation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: When we write to the Department of Transport, we will address the Air Navigation and Transport Bill too.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Merchant Service Providers in the Travel Trade in Ireland: Discussion (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Senator Buttimer. I thank Ms Mannion and Mr. Hodnett for attending today's meeting and engaging with the committee. We will come back to this matter. We ask Ms Mannion, for the sake of completeness, to seek legal opinion to be certain about the legislation on the Commission for Aviation Regulation and merchant providers. She might let us know the outcome of that.