John Whelan (Labour)

The trainee pilots are seriously out of pocket and some of them are within touching distance, some by days or weeks, of completing their training. This is the issue the Minister must tackle. He has a responsibility in the matter because the Irish Aviation Authority endorsed the training college. We have a responsibility to the students and that is the problem that needs to be resolved. There is no point in pretending that anything else will help.

It is unfortunate that the families and the trainee pilots have to be dragged up to Dublin today to protest in order to get justice and a fair response. That is the situation and I ask the Leader to intervene and appeal to the Minister to meet the families on his return to the country to resolve this problem once and for all. It is a manageable problem as there are only 40 trainee pilots affected. Therefore, the cost would not be exorbitant or open-ended. It is an issue that can be solved. Where there is a will, there is a way. Therefore, the Minister can do this.