An expert group is being put together to try and avoid a strike by workers at Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority.

A team is being appointed by the government, the trade union group ICTU and the employers' group IBEC to examine the dispute surrounding the pension fund.

Workers are set to down tools for hours on March 14 - bringing the country's three main airports to a standstill at the beginning of the St Patrick's weekend.

Transport minister Leo Varadkar has asked SIPTU to postpone the strike, and says he's hopeful a deal can still be reached: