Results 16,741-16,760 of 26,148 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Senator Dooley will need to conclude.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Senator. I have a few very quick questions for Ms Embleton. The Chief Medical Officer, CMO, Dr. Tony Holohan and his colleagues, and the joint Chair of the HSE review group on antigen testing, appeared before the committee and told us that international travel was not a priority in terms of antigen testing. I appreciate Ms Embleton's reluctance but if a pilot scheme was to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: No, I am talking about a pilot test for antigen testing on one specific air route, perhaps one of the Aer Lingus routes, over a very short period. This would be where Aer Lingus would do a pilot programme on antigen testing. Would Ms Embleton be willing to look at that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: In her presentation today, Ms Embleton spoke about the anti-family restrictions over and back to the UK and elsewhere. What would Ms Embleton say to the Irish Government in terms of the aspect of the current Delta variant and the extra restrictions that have come in whereby people who are unvaccinated must quarantine for 14 days or apply for a second PCR test five days after their arrival...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: The digital green certificate that is coming in may allow rapid antigen testing. In keeping with what Ms Embleton said, the antigen test will detect the most infectious people boarding the plane. PCR testing still has the weakness that a person could potentially have taken a test 72 hours prior to departure and still bring the virus on board. What difference would antigen testing make to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: If antigen testing does not become part of the tool kit, Ms Embleton is not in any way dismissing PCR testing. She just wants antigen testing included as well. If antigen testing is not included, is Aer Lingus writing off its summer season into Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: If antigen testing is not allowed by Ireland as part of the tool kit under the digital green certificate, will Aer Lingus be writing off its summer season for flights into Ireland in terms of the tourism sector?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I know Ms Embleton has gone over this but to bring it into sharp focus, what is her ask of the Irish Government today in terms of ensuring we have international tourists coming into Ireland over the summer period? We are now looking at the end of July, August and perhaps September. What does Aer Lingus need in place by 19 July?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will shift the focus quickly to Shannon Airport. I am a representative for Limerick city. As I said, when Covid-19 restrictions are fully removed, we very much look forward to Ms Embleton visiting Shannon Airport and the region. Iberia received a €1 billion credit guarantee from the Spanish Government. The major condition under that agreement was that there would be no compulsory...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am not denying the need for restructuring, but why did Aer Lingus not bring in a voluntary redundancy package for the cabin crew rather than a compulsory one? That would be very difficult for many of the staff, but it would retain the base. Obviously, you will appreciate that having a base there gives much more comfort to a region and an airline in terms of having early morning flights....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Ms Embleton could go-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Aer Lingus can still get its cost savings with voluntary redundancy, but it would still retain the base. Would you reconsider that, to make what is happening in the base voluntary rather than compulsory?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will return to the Heathrow slots. There is an absolute commitment given up to September 2022 that there will be Heathrow slots for flights out of Shannon Airport. What commitment does Aer Lingus give on retaining those Heathrow slots out of Shannon Airport beyond September 2022? Yes, there is the default in terms of the slots themselves overall for Ireland, but what commitment will Ms...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: My second question was about the Heathrow slots for Shannon beyond September 2022. Will you give a commitment that they will be retained for the Heathrow flights out of Shannon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We will be writing to the Government, Dr. Holohan and NPHET and Professor Keogan, the joint chair of the review of antigen testing, stating, first, that we were told something completely opposite, namely, that international aviation was not part of the antigen testing. Mr. Moriarty has said that he was advised that it was last November when the review group was established. Second, we will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Will that include what was the early morning flight out of Shannon Airport?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Ms Embleton will be doing a tour of southern and western Ireland to visit Shannon and Cork Airports. I want to check one thing. In Ms Embleton’s discussion with Government, we have been told that it is around the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, loan. She spoke about the rebate of airport charges, about the extension of the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, until the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are literally 15 months into the pandemic. The date of 19 July 2021 is fast looming, when the digital green certificates will come in. Why have these discussions not taken place? Why are the witnesses not getting down to the real detail? Why has that not happened to date?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Will Aer Lingus require State or Government support to be able to come out of this pandemic? Ms Embleton can answer that question, either. Will Aer Lingus require State support?