Results 1,501-1,520 of 5,918 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Precisely.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I am sorry but a number of things have happened since we were last in the House discussing the Bill and they need to be cleared up before we go any further. With respect to Senator Buttimer, of course the air traffic control people were excellent. We are separating them out. This is part of what is happening in the Bill. I do not have a problem with what takes place in Shannon. It was...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to address the point Senator Buttimer has made. IBEC may have spoken to him this morning and lobbied him but it is not advising the relevant Minister on what it wants to do. It may have input to the Minister but it is not advising the Minister.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: No.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I am going back to the AAIU report, which states that "The Minister for Transport should ensure that the Department has sufficient specialist aviation expertise to enable it to discharge effective oversight of the full range of IAA activities". This Bill is about oversight of the IAA. Who is the expert in the Department? Who is the aviation expert in the Department advising the Minister?...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: We can accept there is not an aviation expert within the Department right now, and I would be grateful if the Minister of State would confirm that. It is important as the legislation progresses that we are dealing with a Department that does not have the expertise to oversee the organisation for which we are legislating. I would like confirmation of that, in the Minister of State's reply....

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: That is fine.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: One of the things that gives us all great confidence when we go to fly is the level of safety that exists in the world of aviation. If one peruses the air accident investigation reports on any air accident one will see that the level of detail that is available is incredible. I mean if a part is replaced on any aircraft that flies then one can trace it all the way to the very machine that...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: That has not answered the question. It is a clear one. Does the Minister of State have an aviation expert on her staff in the Department of Transport, yes or no?

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: This is not a Commencement matter.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: It is related.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: No, the Minister of State has not.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Does the Minister of State have somebody on the staff?

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Does the Department have an aviation expert on the staff?

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I am sorry, but it is not a question of whether I like the response or not. We are passing legislation through this House-----

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: The air accident investigation report criticises the fact that the Department depends on contractors to provide advice and states clearly that the Department needs to have an in-house expert. I ask again if there is such an in-house expert in aviation.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: No, she said that she has access to people with expertise who are contractors. I am asking if there is an employee of the State working in the Department of Transport who is an aviation expert.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Okay.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: That is grand.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Returning to the stakeholder forum the Minister of State spoke of, if we were to call a meeting of that group we would probably need a hotel to accommodate the representatives from all the different agencies mentioned. The key thing is that pilots have concerns about lighting at airports when they are landing and taking off, as well as concerns about various other things. The Minister of...