Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In regard to the specific amendment I find myself largely in agreement with the approach taken by Senator Boylan relating to the scheduling of such meetings. That is a concern for IALPA. I have had numerous conversation with IALPA and found it to be upfront and straightforward about what it is trying to achieve in the best interests of the people they represent and the travelling public. The amendments the Government has brought forward are welcome. There has been a significant shift in thinking, which is helpful. It might not go as far as I would like but there is an improvement. I want to put on the record too that I met the Irish Aviation Authority. I found it a helpful dialogue. I am not sure it would say anything different. It listened intently and it has fed into the process, which is how legislation proceeds.

I thank the Minister of State for taking an approach that other Ministers perhaps would not have, in not railroading through the Seanad at a particular point notwithstanding the pressures from every angle. We are not as far along as we would like, certainly from my perspective, but I recognise that all the stakeholders have had a significant say and that is how legislation should be processed.

In reference to my good friend, Senator Craughwell, in regard to the departmental expertise we have to be careful that we do not personalise any of this. I am conscious of that report in regard to the tragedy off the Mayo coast and the recommendations there. I hope that will be dealt with appropriately at a later stage because we must be mindful of all who have lost their lives in this context. It is also important that the Irish Aviation Authority has the requisite experience, expertise and redress. It seems to me that the expertise in the Department is more about, or should be more about, oversight, the following of process, auditing and ensuring that the procedures and processes as set out in legislation are followed to the nth degree and that where it exists, best practice from peer review internationally is also brought to bear. That is how we should try to address this.