The new contract about to be signed by the Government for public service obligation, PSO, flights from Donegal to Dublin will mean a loss of afternoon flights. This is a public service obligation; it is supposed to serve the public but it is not. We know the people of Donegal are rightly outraged at the new proposed contract. Flights from Donegal to Dublin in at 8.30 p.m. and coming back from Dublin at 6.30 a.m is ludicrous. Nobody is demanding that. It will not work and there will be ghost flights. This is a €17 million contract. The midday service has worked for decades. It is why nearly 10,000 people have signed a petition in 48 hours. This is being led by a charity that provides support for over 500 people who depend on this flight to get their treatment in Dublin because we live a nine-hour return journey away by road. I have spoken to many of the patients myself. If it was not for this flight, they would not be able to avail of their cancer treatment. They cannot even book flights after the 26th of this month because there is no contract in place. This route is not a luxury; it is a lifeline. This is a Government contract. It is a public service obligation. It has to serve the public and not the airline. I am asking the Tánaiste to commit that the Government will not enter into this contract until the midday service is secure.

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