Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Transport or the new Minister for Transport to come to the House later today to discuss the crisis in Aer Lingus. A total of 2,700 passengers are awaiting flights. Seventeen routes have been cancelled and 34 flights cancelled. The IMPACT trade union and the management of Aer Lingus should be brought together to resolve this issue. I regard this as national sabotage at this stage, with so many people unemployed and further jobs now being put in jeopardy. This cabin crew dispute is going on and on. The Government and the State have a major shareholding in Aer Lingus so we have a responsibility. Perhaps the new Minister for Transport, in his or her first act, would intervene in this dispute and try to bring both parties together to resolve this issue because it is a national scandal. Anyone who has been grounded at an airport waiting for flights knows how difficult it is. Jobs are being lost as a result and it is having an effect on exports, business meetings and other commitments. It is embarrassing, to say the least, for the State that a carrier such as Aer Lingus could land in this situation with 34 flights cancelled. I ask the Leader to use his position to contact the Government, the Minister of State with responsibility for labour affairs and the new Minister for Transport and to ask the Labour Court to intervene as a matter of urgency.