Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The temporary closure of Aer Lingus's crew base at Cork Airport aligns with the airports planned closure to carry out construction works on its main runway and associated infrastructure. In addition to the announced lay offs for the period, the airline also reported that they will be seeking a number of redundancies. The airline has indicated that such immediate actions and wider structural changes are to address the impact that COVID-19 has had on its operations.

Both Minister Naughton and I met with their CEO soon after their announcement, and they did confirm that there is no strategic intent to reduce connectivity at Cork Airport, but that the restoration of air services would depend on market conditions. It is clear from my ongoing discussions with Aer Lingus and other aviation stakleholders, that the prority for the industry is clarity around the re-opening of international travel.

On 28 May, the Government set out its plan for the resumption of non-essential international air travel, scheduled to begin on 19 July. This plan is built around EU Digital COVID Certificates and other proofs of vaccination, pre-departure PCR testing and mandatory quarantine that will allow international travel to operate safely. An “emergency brake” mechanism will also allow us to respond to the potential emergence of variants of concern.

On 1 June, Government launched its Economic Recovery Plan 2021 with the goal of achieving rapid job creation and economic growth after the pandemic. This plan sets out new measures for businesses and affected sectors as the economy reopens, and details for existing emergency pandemic financial supports including the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), giving certainty to employers, workers, and for those who need it most.

While it may take some time for our aviation sector to regain the strong economic position it had at the start of the pandemic, Government has committed to ensuring that there will be no “cliff-edge” to the COVID-19 related business supports that are currently available, and relevant Departments continue to work on the necessary implementation measures to ensure a safe re-opening of international travel next month.