Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Those of us who are members of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications have received a number of emails. You may not have had knowledge that the culture within the IAA was not good. However, when you investigate and speak to people, you become cognisant of it. To be fair, that is not the fault of the Minister of State. I do not necessarily think that the amendment put forward is the right approach but proactive engagement is critical. I am not sure if I am allowed to mention people but our committee asked that Kieran Mulvey be brought in as a mediator and negotiator because the culture there is not good.When a Minister engages, people listen. It is the power of the office and officeholder. I have met members of the Irish Air Traffic Control Association, IATCA, because I received a surprising volume of emails from them. Those I met were mild-mannered, considerate, conscientious and professional. Having been involved in many organisations and having been a former shop steward, I am a hardened individual but I was struck by the level of upset. I was also struck by the people’s concern for one another as colleagues. These people were coming into work to do their job, which involved watching the monitor and the airspace. Before the meeting, I did not understand the volume of work and its intensity. Considering that the staff have a responsibility to guide aircraft and maintain safe airspace, one cannot but be struck by their sincerity and genuineness.

The Minister of State might have a different view because there are always two sides to every argument, but my understanding is that Fórsa, on behalf of IATCA, is willing to consider and play its part in any intervention by the Department of Transport. Senator Craughwell referred to carriers and IALPA. I have met representatives of IALPA. They have a viewpoint and are well represented. It is the meeting of minds in the middle that must be achieved but there must be no ambiguity over the safety.

In making my next point, which is to put the matter into context, I do not mean to make a point that sounds frivolous. When watching the television programme “Air Crash Investigation” and distilling the various elements that lead to an accident or cause an incident in airspace, it is noticeable that it is the little pieces that add up. If staff are unhappy in a high-risk, high-intensity job, something is wrong. Something is radically wrong if the members of the transport committee receive emails in large volumes on this matter. We should extrapolate from this to see what is happening at the next level down. People who would never under normal circumstances come to a politician or contemplate writing an email or becoming part of a movement expressing concern about their workplace are willing to meet us individually. Let us put it in context: if the focus of someone in a high-intensity position is not 100% on what he or she is doing but rather on something related to his or her work, it is not good. Senator Craughwell, having been the president of a union, and I, having been involved in that regard in school, will know there are components of a workplace that require all staff to function in such a way as to go in the one direction.

I will refer to the safety culture later when discussing section 67. There is a need for the IAA to examine what is happening. Something prompted its members to take the course of action they took. It was not something simple. Senator Craughwell will concur with that. My concern is that there will be a breach of safety culture.