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

To clarify, the general scheme of the Bill was developed by officials in my Department. There was extensive engagement with the two State bodies concerned, namely, the Commission for Aviation Regulation, CAR, and the Irish Aviation Authority, in respect of which section 14 of the Irish Aviation Authority Act 1993 states that, among others, one of the principal objects of the company is "to advise, on its own initiative or at the request of the Minister, the Government, the Minister or another Minister of the Government or any other person in relation to any matter to which a function of the company relates". In essence, the IAA has a statutory responsibility to advise on these matters.

Prior to the publication of this Bill, in addition to the IAA and CAR being consulted, the Department engaged with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, Cork Airport, Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Airports Council International, Chambers Ireland, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, Fórsa, IALPA, An Taisce and Dublin City University. The Bill also went through pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport in 2019.

On the technical expertise that was sought in the drafting of national legislation, expert advice was considered necessary regarding the search and rescue aspect of the Bill and that was sought. I am satisfied, as I said previously, that proper and appropriate consultation took place on the Bill. The Attorney General has also said so and stated that it would have been remiss of the Department not to consult the IAA, given its statutory role under the 1993 Act.