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

Senators are aware that there has been an extensive dialogue with Senators, the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, and the Irish Air Line Pilots Association, IALPA, on this issue of a forum and licenceholders charter. Have taken the Senators' considered views on board, I am proposing Government amendment No. a4a.

The aviation ecosystem is complex and consists of people who ensure the delivery of a multitude of services required to make the aviation system function safely. To remain focused on the fundamentals of safety, it is important that these voices are heard. This is at the core of the Government amendment in relation to the aviation stakeholders forum. The different voices must be heard and must be part of the conversation.

Government amendment No. a4a provides that the IAA convene an aviation stakeholders forum with broader membership than just licenceholders. The purpose of the aviation stakeholders forum will be to promote the sharing of best practice aviation safety initiatives, engage with the IAA on matters relating to the regulation of aviation safety, elicit views on proposals for EU or national regulatory changes in relation to aviation safety and enable the sharing of aviation lessons learned, best aviation practices, aviation safety performance indicators and the provision of information on specific aviation safety risks.

The Government amendment also requires the IAA to publish a licenceholders charter, setting out the standards of engagement that will be undertaken by the IAA with the holders of licences. The aviation stakeholders forum will provide a means by which any safety-relevant issues can be brought forward for attention and teased out in a consultative and collaborative manner. This includes issues relating to crew peer support programmes, which is important to IALPA. In conclusion, Government amendment No. a4a will address the substantive issues raised by Senators and by IALPA. I therefore hope this proposal can be accepted in the spirit of collaboration and consultation in which it is being made.