Results 3,141-3,160 of 24,438 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second and Subsequent Stages (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: I am standing in for Senator Conway. I welcome the Minister of State. I hope this is not her last time to address the Seanad as Minister of State at the Department of Health because, to be fair to her, she has been a very proactive Minister of State. I do not say that patronisingly. As a former Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Health and Children I found it refreshing to see her take...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second and Subsequent Stages (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank them for that. I know first-hand from my own experience this year of how much work they do and the care and attention they give to the families and those patients who need it. The Sláintecare consultant contract is transformative. A public-only hospital contract is to be welcomed. Then, in tandem with that, there is €23 billion in the healthcare budget for this year....

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second and Subsequent Stages (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Senator Martin is absolutely right.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second and Subsequent Stages (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: What about a good Ulster fry?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Good morning, Cathaoirleach. I apologise as I must leave at 10 a.m. to attend the Seanad. First, I welcome our witnesses and I thank Ms Embleton for her presentation. The Cathaoirleach is correct in that her presentation was short, concise and therein lies the first question. Nowhere in Ms Embleton’s presentation this morning to us, or in her written presentation, has she discussed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Can I ask-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Yes, I do. What is the comparable difference between Aer Lingus’s short-haul fleet today in December 2022 versus December 2019?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: By how much?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Where are those aircraft flying to and where are they based?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: What is the comparison then in Aer Lingus’s long-haul fleet between the years 2022 and 2019?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Would it be fair to say, to whichever of our guests would like to take this question, that Aer Lingus is not as committed to the short-haul flights as it had been previously?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Forget about Covid-19 as it is over now. If one listened to the International Air Transport Association, IATA, and to the presentations from the past week, Covid-19 is over, we are in recovery mode. We are 12 months beyond it now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Other airlines are booming ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: I appreciate and I thank Mr. Reid for that. I do not mean to be adversarial but I am very disappointed with the attitude of Aer Lingus as a group, to be honest. In the context of Mr. Moody’s last comment about the business case, and again either of our guests can answer this question, but where does Aer Lingus see the future of the Heathrow slots for Cork and Shannon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: In the context of the whole short-haul connectivity, Ms Embleton’s statement said, “The growth in Ireland’s connectivity over the last decade has seen significant investment by airlines ... ”. By Aer Lingus’s own admission, it has reduced its short-haul fleet and it is making a business case to return business to the company. What is the company’s...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Is Aer Lingus, as part of the national aviation strategy, committed to not shrinking its fleet further but to enhancing and increasing to have more short-haul aircraft? The short-haul sector is important to us as an island nation, as is the transatlantic service. Can I take it from the comments by the delegation that Aer Lingus has committed here today, as part of the national aviation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: In the overarching context of our discussion nothing has happened with Emerald. I could list a plethora of routes where, despite rhetoric, no commitment has been given and there has been no action or further movement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: In terms of Emerald. I know that Emerald does some of Aer Lingus's short-haul regional flights, but there is nothing happening with some of the regions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: I am genuinely angry and disappointed with the attitude that Aer Lingus has shown towards us as an island nation. Two minutes ago Mr. Moody said Aer Lingus will work with Emerald but now he has said it is up to the regional airports to do that work. We have just heard spin and rhetoric this morning. I apologise for being cross but Ireland as an island nation is very dependent on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Jerry Buttimer: Cork Airport will not be improved by what Mr. Moody has said about the future plans of Aer Lingus. A lot of routes are not being brought back or are dying a death.