Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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356. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason practical flying tuition is permitted under level 5 restrictions and practical driving tuition is not. [19215/21]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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357. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current Covid-19 restrictions on aviation training; if flight lessons are permitted to go ahead; the capacity in which they are allowed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19216/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together.

At Level 5, the public health risk means that people are asked to stay at home, except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes. On 6 January 2021, the government announced that all higher, further and adult education should remain primarily online. However, where such activities cannot be done remotely, such as practical and skills-based tuition, limited on-site presence is permitted and those attending such tuition can travel beyond the current general restricted travel limit of within county or 20km.

Attending a flight training school is considered to fall within the category of education. Flight training is an educational activity that requires direct non-remote interaction with aircraft which cannot be replaced with online alternatives. Not all those attending flight schools are necessarily trainee pilots. Some may already be qualified and employed commercial pilots attending the flight school to acquire a particular additional qualification or rating. As such they would be qualified pilots and considered essential workers. The completion of pilot training courses is time critical and attendees must complete flight training within regulated timeframes.

All public health regulations and guidelines must be strictly adhered to and operational and cockpit procedures of the flight school must be in line with HSE Covid procedures.

The provision of driving instruction has been defined in legislation as an essential service. Under level 5 measures, Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) may continue to provide lessons, but only in such circumstances where the learner in question has already been scheduled a test date. While my Department fully appreciates the challenges that this poses for ADIs, I must emphasis that this decision has been taken in line with official public health recommendations.