Mr. Patrick Edmond:

I wish to be very clear that our position is that the preservation and retention of our slots and connectivity is foremost in our minds. We recognise that the existing Aer Lingus shareholding structure does not give that reassurance, as those in the Shannon and mid-west regions know very well from the experience of 2007. In the event of any change of ownership of Aer Lingus and as a precondition of any potential sale of the Government's stake, we would look for enforceable agreement to preserve that and would not be in favour of any sale which did not protect the slots. We are very clear on that.

Shannon Airport has been independent for two years and we are growing our passenger numbers steadily - they were up 17% in the last year. Shannon Airport is developing well, is successful and is delivering connectivity to business users and tourism interests in the area. We are very much about connectivity and preserving it. We are extremely clear on that subject and the preservation of Heathrow as a key connecting hub is essential for us in that respect.