Ó Ríordáin Slams Government for Attempting to Undermining Airline Passenger Rights
Ó Ríordáin Slams Government for Attempting to Undermining Airline Passenger Rights - The Labour Party
Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has strongly rebuked the Irish Government for its support for changes to EU air passenger rights agreed this week by the EU Council of Ministers. The revisions significantly weaken protections for airline passengers travelling across Europe.
Commenting on the decision, Ó Ríordáin said:
“This is an appalling decision by the Irish Government who have backed a deal that will see Irish and European passengers lose basic rights we have held dear for years.
“Under these proposals, passengers will now face incredibly long delays — up to four hours for short and medium-haul flights, and six hours for long-haul — before they are entitled to claim compensation. That’s simply unacceptable.
“This is just the position of the Council. It will now go to the European Parliament for further negotiation, and I want to make it clear: I will be fighting to ensure these rights are not watered down.
“I sincerely hope that my fellow Irish MEPs will also stand up for consumers. Will Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil MEPs stand with passengers, or with the airlines and their lobbyists?
“While there are some modest improvements — such as automated forms and better rerouting responsibilities — these do not make up for the core fact that passengers are losing key entitlements.
“We cannot allow industry pressure to trump citizens’ rights. These are rights that people in Ireland and across the EU rely on, particularly given the unique geographic challenges we face as an island nation.
“This fight is not over. If our government won’t stand up for our rights, then the European Parliament must step up and defend passengers.”