Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 Dec 1993

Vol. 437 No. 1

Written Answers. - Air Fares.

Mary Flaherty

Question:

76 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the measures, if any, that the Government is putting in place to reduce the cost of access from Europe, the USA and other destinations to this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Cowen)

As part of the liberalisation process of recent years, the role of Governments in controlling and regulating air fares has been progressively reduced.

Under European Union rules and the Ireland-US Air Transport Agreement, which apply to most air services to and from Ireland, airlines serving Ireland are free to determine air fares in accordance with their own commercial judgment, subject to certain safeguards. The safeguards in relation to air fares within the European Union are set out in Article 6 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2409/92 and enable member states or the EC Commission to take action in relation to air fares in circumstances where a fare is excessively high to the disadvantage of users or where market forces have led to a sustained downward development of air fares resulting in widespread losses among all air carriers.

I have no statutory function in relation to the determining of fares for services provided by ferry operators. This is a matter solely for the commercial judgment of individual operators.