Ryanair faces social welfare costs rise

Ryanair staff costs may increase dramatically after the airline heard it will be forced to pay social welfare contributions for employees at bases around Europe.

Currently, 8,500 cabin crew and pilots have Irish work contracts irrespective of where they reside, on the basis that the low-cost airline is registered in Dublin.

Ireland’s social welfare contributions for employers and employees are one of the lowest in the EU — but so is the country’s spending on social protection.