The current crisis situation in Irish aviation is being ignored by Transport Minister Noel Dempsey and his Fianna Fail/Green colleagues.

The Minister is refusing to address key issues including the protection of aviation jobs in Dublin, Cork and Shannon and the maintenance of national air connectivity especially in terms of the critical US routes.

Last week I asked Minister Dempsey if he would publish a White Paper on the Future of Irish Aviation mapping out how the government intends to deal with the declining volume of airline passengers, the negative impact of the €10 air travel tax and the protection of aviation jobs and national strategic air connectivity. However, the Minister refused to consider a White Paper to address these important matters.

The Dail Transport Committee is meeting this week to discuss Aer Lingus management's proposed annual €97 million costcutting plan with management and Aer Lingus pilots and their representatives. Aer Lingus staff have expressed strong concerns that the use of non-Aer Lingus Astreaus crews on Aer Lingus planes flying out of Belfast is a move towards the wider outsourcing of pilots and crews at Aer Lingus. Yet, Minister Dempsey who is one of the key interested parties in the proposed restructuring of Aer Lingus (given the 25% government shareholding) will not attend the Dail Committee meeting.

My request for a full Dail debate on the proposed changes to Aer Lingus was refused four times last week. Minster Dempsey must now come into Dail Eireann and lay out his government’s strategy to stop the drift in the Irish aviation sector which is so damaging for our air connectivity and for aviation jobs.