Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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712. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the need to enhance the rights and protection of air passengers which is not addressed in the consultation issues paper his Department published as part of a review of civil aviation policy; if he will address this matter in view of the recent proposals from the European Commission on air passengers rights and the fact that complaints against airlines remains high; if he will ensure the new civil aviation policy will address consumer issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25293/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The issue of air passenger rights is primarily a matter of Community competence as the EU has already legislated in this area in Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004. In addition, Regulation (EC) No. 1008/2008 on the operation of air services does not allow Member States to place additional requirements on air carriers operating intra-EU services so national Governments have very limited scope to act in this area.

The Issues Paper published by my Department as part of the proposed development of a new national aviation policy focusses primarily on issues where we have competence to act at a national level.  Passenger rights is, of course, an extremely important issue in the context of air travel and my Department has consulted widely on the recently published EU Commission proposal to revise Regulation (EC) 261/2004.  My officials are now examining the responses received to that consultation process with a view to developing a national position to put forward in the negotiations on this proposal in the European Council in the coming months.