Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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707. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the action being taken by his Department to aid the recovery of the aviation sector which has been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis; the extent to which proposed redundancies in an airline (details supplied) can be prevented by EU Covid-19 related supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13163/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport has maintained regular contact with key aviation stakeholders since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. The aviation industry is one of the most affected by the global pandemic. All airlines have seen severe depletion of revenue and are facing various degrees of financial challenge.  

The Government has brought forward a series of measures to support all businesses impacted by COVID-19. These include the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Pandemic Unemployment Benefit, and the ISIF Pandemic Stabilisation and Recovery Fund for medium and large enterprises.  

Industrial relations are a matter for the airlines and their employees and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has no role in relation to such matters. The industrial relations machinery of the State would be available to assist all parties to reach agreement, should the need arise.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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708. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has been consulted by or has offered guidance to the Department of Education and Skills in relation to Covid-19 guidance for school transport services for the 2020-2021 academic year. [13172/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The School Transport Scheme comes under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Education.  Bus services outside that scheme are part of the overall public transport sector.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is working with public transport operators (both public and private) who are implementing public health advice in relation to issues such as cleaning regimes and social distancing measures designed to limit the risk of spreading Covid-19.  The public health advices apply across all public transport including school transport.

The 'Return to Work Safely Protocol' sets out the steps and processes employers and workers must take to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace. The Protocol was published by Minister Humphreys on 9 May 2020 and is a living document which will evolve with changing Public Health advice. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the lead agency in overseeing compliance with the Protocol in the workplace.