Civil Aviation Regulation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2013

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Questions (601)

Clare Daly

Question:

601. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in relation to replies given by him regarding the concerns in relation to Ryanair safety, in respect of which he relies on statements made by the Irish Aviation Authority, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that statements regarding the safety of particular airlines are not normally issued by aviation authorities; if he will confirm that the IAA did in fact take specific actions to investigate the issues raised in the TV programme, most specifically the underlying factors contributing to an exceptional occurrence in which three aircraft from the same company declared fuel emergencies, while none of the other 19 diverting aircraft found it necessary to declare a fuel emergency; if he has been provided with any indication that the IAA formally addressed this key issue; and if he will provide reassurance that the systemic safety issues were, as a matter of fact, formally reviewed and assessed. [44480/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

This question relates to allegations made in a Channel 4 program regarding events that occurred last year in Spain.  Those events were fully investigated by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) with the co-operation of the Spanish aviation regulatory authorities in 2012. The investigation concluded that the Ryanair aircraft had complied with the strict EU fuel regulations. After the Channel program aired, the IAA issued a press release on 15 August stating that Ryanair's fuel policy complied with European regulations.  

The IAA, which is a statutory body under the remit of my Department, is responsible for the safety oversight of civil aviation in the State.  The IAA regulates safety standards in accordance with EU and international rules set down by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the IAA is audited by both these organisations.  These audits have shown that the IAA performs its oversight functions to the highest EU and international standards and I have full confidence in their capabilities to do so.  

The IAA has key  statutory functions in this area and if the Deputy wishes to clarify these further she may of course do so directly with the IAA and I have asked them to respond promptly to any such queries.