With regard to the investment of the Government in this, I want to return briefly to the point made by the Minister about the question of control of semi-State bodies operating commercially. I should be the last to advocate any unnecessary control, but I would interpret the Minister's job as being able to get the maximum national return from both the air companies and the tourist effort together. Both are his responsibility. He has to maximise not the individual returns but the sum of the two. I question there the extent to which the airlines can act negatively to tourism by encouraging large-scale holidays abroad. I thought perhaps there should be a balance there. It is good business for Aer Lingus to take our people to foreign parts but it is a loss to tourism. It is a condition in which the Government are investing, and I want to make sure the condition is solved.
Air Companies (Amendment) Bill, 1969 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Final Stages.
Section 1 agreed to.
SECTION 2.
Question proposed: "That section 2 stand part of the Bill".
The air companies are spending three times more on publicity into Ireland than on publicity out of Ireland in their advertisement budget.
Question put and agreed to.
SECTION 3.
Question proposed: "That section 3 stand part of the Bill".
I wish to make quite clear the point raised on this section by Senator Honan—I do not wish that there be any misunderstanding on this—to the effect that Aer Lingus are not engaged in research and development as known in the airline business. There are more personnel engaged in research and development of Boeing aircraft than there are on the entire Aer Lingus staff. We can never engage in that in a small country but as our other scales develop we can cash in on a world basis by putting them on a consultancy and fee basis at the service of other countries.
Question put and agreed to.
Sections 4 to 8, inclusive, agreed to.
Title agreed to.
Agreed to take remaining Stages today.
Bill reported without recommendation, received for final consideration and ordered to be returned to the Dáil.