Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are dancing on the head of a pin here because in previous debates the Minister of State told us the IAA is independent. If it is independent, why was it not included in the response to the FOI? To my mind, the IAA is not independent but is an arm of the State, and the purpose of this legislation is to give governance of the aviation industry to the IAA. We have had this discussion previously, when the Minister of State stated in the Chamber that she had relied on the experts in the IAA to draft legislation for the IAA. We have said that does not make sense to us. It does not stand. The Minister has stated categorically that the IAA is independent but if it is, why is it not mentioned in the FOI reply?