Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her contribution and work in this respect. We have had a very good and extensive debate throughout this afternoon about the main players in the sector and what is required in terms of strategies and supports.

A key component of the whole sector that has not had much mention here this afternoon is the Irish travel agents, which also come under the auspices of the office of the Minister of the State as they are licensed under the Commission for Aviation Regulation.

International travel starts not at Dublin Airport or Shannon Airport but on the main street of one's home town when one goes into one's local travel agent and books a trip. Travel agents are an essential component in the whole aviation sector because without them, one is not going anywhere. Yet, in the food chain of aviation, they are being treated very much as though they are at the bottom of the pyramid, which is simply not good enough.

This morning, the headline on the front page of the Irish Independentread "Now granny comes too". It seems families heading on sun holidays are packing Granny along with the rest of their luggage as part of a new wider family experience. When is Granny going to be able to pack her factor 50 sun cream and swimwear? Judging by the comments in the newspaper, it will not be this year when she will be on the lilo in the paddling pool.

The former president and current board member of the Irish Travel Agents Association, Mr. Martin Skelly, was quoted in the front-page story. He stated that "95pc of enquiries we are getting are for holidays next year". Mr. Skelly also owns Navan Travel, which is my local travel agency. I spoke to him before this debate and he noted that although travel agents reopened on 17 May and were treated like the rest of the non-essential retail cohort and lost their CRSS, nobody in the country is allowed to travel for leisure purposes until July. The sector employs 3,000 people, yet it has lost its support although the travel agencies are not taking in money. They are dealing with a huge amount of inquiries, must staff their offices and deal with the inquiries yet nothing is coming in and people cannot travel. It is a bit like telling publicans that they can open their doors but they cannot sell porter. This lacuna that has developed is causing severe financial stress on travel agents who are a key component in the facilitation of the aviation sector. What is clear from the comments of the industry experts in the story this morning and before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications is that the tap is not going to be turned on seamlessly when travel does recommence.

As has been stated, 95% of the inquiries that travel agents receive at the moment are for travel next year. The representatives of these many agents across Ireland have submitted significant documentation to the Minister of State and the Minister in respect of the provision of additional support to overcome the time lag between bookings and profitability, and the industry returning. Travel agents have two years of losses to recoup. They worked through last year when people contacted them to cancel bookings. They had their offices manned. Almost the easiest thing would have been for them to let businesses fold and allow people to avail of the State guarantee. However, the travel agents stood by their responsibilities and acted like the responsible business people that they are. By the end of this year, they will have had two years of significant losses to be carried over.

The industry representatives have submitted significant documentation to both the Minister of State and the Minister seeking an additional cash flow to allow travel agents to survive. What they need now is ministerial engagement in order that their doors can stay open and they can get people back on planes again, and enjoying international travel. Unless they get support the key component in this whole process is not going to be there. The travel agents have not been spoken about here this afternoon and I want to put my voice to their case here as part of this debate.