Army response to Dublin Airport chaos a 'last resort' - Coveney

The tunnel at T2 , Dublin Airport as Aer Lingus announce flight cancellations because of staff shortages due to a Covid 19 surge

Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that it is not expected that Defence Force staff would be deployed to Dublin Airport despite being on call for a period of six weeks.

He said such a situation whereby the army was being used to assist in the running of the airport was a “last resort” and not a situation he was happy with.

It comes as more Aer Lingus flights have been cancelled this weekend over staff absences due to Covid-19 - bringing the total number of affected flights to 16 and affecting thousands of passengers.

Today, three Dublin Airport return flights between Lisbon, Amsterdam and Milan have been cut.

Speaking of sending in the Defence Force, Mr Coveney said: “If they are needed, what we have is a very clear understanding of what they'll be doing and for how long so they're going to be on standby from July 6, until the middle of August no longer than that.

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., pictured with members of the Defence Forces 

But he said when the country’s reputation is at stake, as it is at the moment, he said it was appropriate to make the Defence Forces available.

He made clear that any officers deployed would not be in “public-facing” positions, but rather at other security points at the perimeter of the airport campus.

“It'll essentially be security duties on security gates in the airport, or their commercial vehicles and so on coming in and out. That would free up about 168 staff to be able to then move into public facing duties for the DAA. So that's what we've agreed to do. It's a security role at the airport,” he said.

“The Defence Forces are well able to do that if called upon and they will be ready and trained to do it if needed. 

"But as I say, this is a last resort. I don't volunteer the Defence Forces easily but if there is an emergency if Ireland's international reputation is at stake, which it is of course, if Dublin Airport systems collapse, then of course, the defence forces will be there,” he said.

Queues at Dublin Airport on Saturday, July 2. Picture: Martha Brennan

Meanwhile, the use of the army at the airport could inflame a "delicate industrial relations situation" and make "matters worse," Independent TD Cathal Berry has said. Speaking on RTÉ's the Week in Politics, Mr Berry said the introduction of the army to help out had the "potential to make matters worse" in terms of industrial relations. The Kildare South TD also said the troops would not be paid the same rate as their civilian counterparts.