Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement on Monday by the CEO of Ryanair at the meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Kilmainham of seven additional twice daily flights from seven European destinations to Dublin, and a significant increase on all other routes. Ryanair also proposes to invest in 175 new planes within the next five years. I want to acknowledge the part the company plays in bringing tourists to Ireland. The CEO anticipates bringing an additional 1.4 million passengers to Ireland in the coming year. He believes the co-operation between his company and the tourism industry augurs well for tourism. I did not know that the company employed 9,500 people. It hopes to increase that by 1,500 in the coming year. That is welcome news.