Vol. 387 No. 6
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the instructions he gave Aer Lingus concerning checks and safety measures on their Boeing airplanes following the East Midlands air disaster in early January; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
10.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the steps which have been taken to ensure that Boeing aircraft operated by Aer Lingus are completely safe, in light of the number of recent accidents involving Boeing aircraft and the discovery of a number of faults in such planes; if any faults have been discovered in Boeing planes being operated by Aer Lingus; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 10 together.
All Irish registered aircraft are operated in accordance with airworthiness and operations standards prescribed by my Department. Our requirements are fully in line with international standards as set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. In adopting the general airworthiness standards set by ICAO, we follow to a large extent the requirements set both by the American Federal Aviation Agency and the British Civil Aviation Authority. The requirements are enforced by my Department's aeronautical airworthiness division.
Following the recent accidents a number of airworthiness instructions and directives were issued to operators of Boeing aircraft by both the FAA and the CAA. My Department have adopted these directives and instructions and have ensured that, where relevant, they have been complied with by Aer Lingus. To date no faults in relation to the recent directives and instructions have been found on Aer Lingus aircraft.
I should mention, of course, that though Aer Lingus operate Boeing 737 aircraft, they do not operate the Boeing 737-400 type which was involved in the British Midlands crash.
Arising from the Minister's reply I would like to ask if in such circumstances safety officers from his Department take part in the surveys or in the checking of the planes. If not, to what extent is he kept informed by Aer Lingus in this case or by whatever airline is concerned as to what is actually taking place on the ground?
The monitoring and regulation of Irish air worthiness standards and practices is carried out by the aeronautical air worthiness division in the Air Navigation Service Office, known as ANSO. The detailed technical requirements to ensure the air worthiness of all Irish registered aircraft are generally based on the standards and systems promulgated by the US Federal Aviation Agency and the UK Civil Aviation Authority and recommendations made by the aircraft manufacturers. It must be emphasised, of course, that there is a continuous review and monitoring process by aircraft operators and manufacturers and other regulatory authorities in relation to air worthiness. Where the latter process results in revisions or upgradings in relation to air worthiness standards or practices, they are implemented by the aeronautical air worthiness division, as far as Irish-registered aircraft are concerned.
I would like to ask the Minister if he and the Department are kept informed of the various findings of air companies and other international authorities throughout the world in regard to these kinds of checks and also if he is being kept informed of the investigations that are taking place into the East Midlands crash.
I do not have the direct answer to that question. Maybe it is a separate question. Even though the question relates to the safety of Boeing aircraft, all Irish carriers operate and maintain their aircraft to the highest standards. They are continuously monitored in this regard by inspectors of my Department. On the question of whether we are kept informed, I have not got that information but I presume that such very relevant information would be made available to us by people investigating the likes of those air crashes.
Have any discussions taken place between the Department of Tourism and Transport and other countries whose planes overfly this country to ensure that, although they are not landing here, the safety checks that we require are equally as stringently observed by those countries? When one recalls the Lockerbie crash, had that plane taken off half an hour earlier it could have been over Ireland when it crashed. Will the Minister assure us that steps will be taken to ensure that planes overflying this country are totally safe, if that is possible?
Serious note would be taken of these sorts of incidences. I accept that the point made by the Deputy is worth keeping in mind.
