Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I offer my condolences to Senator Hoey and her family on her recent bereavement and the loss of her dad.

I am very troubled and disturbed by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, report published this morning with regard to the level of unemployment and lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities. As a country which has done so well with regard to employment generally and which bounced back so successfully from the economic crash back in 2010, it is shocking that we are the fourth worst in Europe with regard to people with disabilities. The disability employment strategy has clearly failed. The figures from 2018 are extremely concerning. We need to have a debate in this House on that specific issue. We need to engage with the Minister and to try to identify where the problems are. We also need to look at offering incentives to the private sector to hire people with disabilities. There is no reason in the world that we should be the fourth worst in Europe. As a matter of fact, we should be the best in Europe. I have always looked at things positively but I was certainly troubled by that report today.

I am also very annoyed that we still do not have an aviation strategy. We are an island nation. We depend on aviation for connectivity for tourism, industry, business and people who want to visit loved ones. There are tens of millions of Irish people living all over the world. Aviation is critically important to our economy and to my region. It is shocking that we do not have an aviation plan at this stage. It is also shocking that we do not know as of yet who will be the new chair of the board of Shannon Airport. No announcement has been made. We all know how important the airport is to the mid-west region. Months later, a replacement chair has not been announced. Nobody is accountable. Nobody is explaining what the delay is. It is totally unacceptable. It shows scant regard and disrespect for Shannon, the people of Clare and the people of the mid-west.