James Carroll (Fianna Fail)

I reiterate the call for an urgent debate on Aer Lingus. Senator Quinn said he does not want us to interfere directly but a number of constituents of mine - some passengers and one or two staff - who reside in the east Meath and Drogheda area have contacted me because they are seriously concerned. Senator Leyden said the Labour Court needs to get involved as a matter of urgency. There is obviously a serious breakdown in communications between management and unions and we need to find a resolution to this issue. The unions have accused Aer Lingus of taking a confrontational approach while Aer Lingus has accused the unions of taking an unreasonable one. The reality is that everyone wants to find a resolution to this as swiftly as possible. I call on the Leader to arrange a debate or that the House pass a motion on this issue. It is critical at this time that flights operate to schedule. We do not want people to lose their jobs. It is critical we have a debate as soon as possible.