Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We all have the same aim; to have the best peer support programme. The issue is around a national peer support programme and I am saying clearly that I am open to that. However, we need to think through how it will operate, how it will be structured and how it will be funded. I cannot put something into primary legislation without that being defined. It needs to be defined through the key stakeholders. I am opening the facility for that to be done through the stakeholders' forum, where the airlines, in consultation with one another, can clearly lay out how this would operate and how it would be funded. The airlines themselves have to have confidence in this and it is not for me as Minister of State to put something into primary legislation when it has not been worked out. I have given a clear commitment that if the stakeholders' forum comes back proposing a design for how a national peer support programme would work, I will legislate for that. That is fair and I have moved significantly on this. We all want the best peer support programme.I refer to the issues that Senator Buttimer highlighted around having confidence in it. That is exactly what I want as well but I want it to be thought through. I want it to be a good structure that works and that has the buy-in of airlines, all the stakeholders and, obviously, pilots. All aircrew would be involved in this.