Results 9,241-9,260 of 26,021 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Mr. Thompstone. We now move to the members. First up is Fianna Fáil and Senator Dooley.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Senator, I will not take from your time and will allow you to start again, but some members' loudspeakers are on, so will everyone go on mute? There is a lot of feedback. I ask members and witnesses to check their settings.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Senator Dooley, you may recommence. My apologies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We shall suspend the meeting for some minutes to resolve a technical issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Could Mr. Thompstone start his response to Senator Dooley from the beginning? We will add on a little bit of extra time at the end.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Mr. Thompstone. I will now move to the Sinn Féin slot. Substituting for Deputy Darren O’Rourke is Deputy Maurice Quinlivan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: The committee will endorse the report. To which Departments has Mr. Thompstone sent the report and what response did he get?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We very much support this document. We will write to the Minister for Transport and the Government indicating our full support for it. We will be engaging with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, in the Chamber next week; this is a matter members will be able to raise with him. I want to touch on two issues. Regarding the scheme the group has put in place, if an airline carries 35% of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: If an airline were to hit 100% of its traffic number in July this year relative to July 2019, it would get 100% of the charges refunded.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have a follow-up question. Will the same scheme apply for the four years or will it be a scaled scheme reducing over the four years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Which other member state of the European Union has a similar scheme in operation for which it has received state aid approval?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: It got European approval for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I assume Iberian Airlines would be availing of that, which as you well know is part of the same group as Aer Lingus. Would it be fair to say that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: It could arise that an Irish airline such as Aer Lingus or Ryanair would be getting funds under the Spanish scheme. It could put our industry here at a comparative disadvantage if this scheme were not in place.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Has Mr. Thompstone looked at the multiplier effect? If the State provides funds to Shannon Airport for these route supports has he examined the multiplier effect and the net cost to the State overall? Has he had an opportunity to examine it in that level of depth?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will move on to the hoteliers. I welcome Ms Fitzgerald Kane, president of the Irish Hotels Federation. The federation is seeking to double tourism marketing fund from €47 million to €94 million. Can Ms Fitzgerald Kane indicate what impact that will have? As one of the premier hoteliers in the region, will she give us an overall perspective on the impact on her members and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We will now move to Senator Buttimer, who has four minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Senator Buttimer. Senator Horkan has four minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: The witnesses will appreciate this is a topic we would like to explore but, like everyone else, we are constrained by Covid-19. We have gone over time. It is a very important subject. Phenomenal work has been done, specifically by Mr. Thompstone in respect of the document he has produced and Ms Fitzgerald Kane in her role as president of the Irish Hotels Federation. They have worked...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues facing the Aviation Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Aer Lingus was flying to Heathrow and Ryanair was also flying to the UK and elsewhere from Shannon. We are fully behind this proposal. We will follow it up with the Department and Government. Perhaps the witnesses could inform us of the outcome of their deliberations with the Minister. There is also an element of active engagement with the airlines. I ask the witnesses to provide us with...