Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
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235. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has made contact with airline operators to ensure refunds are issued for persons who paid for airline travel and then cancelled in view of public health guidelines and quarantine measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19903/20]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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256. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the engagement he has had with airlines that will not be refunding passengers who are looking to cancel flights on the basis of public health advice and advice from the providers of travel insurance; if he has raised this with the aviation industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20452/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 256 and 261 together.

As things stand in law, air passenger rights are protected by Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, which covers the rights of passenger in instances of cancellations.  However, if a flight goes ahead and a customer either cancels or does not use their ticket, they are not entitled to a refund under EU law. 

Evidently the existing consumer protections and legal obligations on airlines and the broader travel sector did not envisage the current circumstances of mass cancellations and stringent travel restrictions.  That has, not surprisingly, put the entire system under immense pressure and it is causing real difficulties for people and businesses.  I understand that the main Irish airlines have been offering the option to rebook in circumstances where a flight occurs but people are not able to present because of Government advice.  That said, I am mindful that the options put forward by airlines may not be fair or workable for customers in all instances.   I know it is an issue that my colleague the Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton has identified as requiring further engagement with the airlines and she intends to do so.