Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Does that not assume we have a level of senior civil servant which simply does not exist at present, in terms of conducting slot negotiations with highly experienced international aviation business people and international airports? Let us be realistic. With the best will in the world, we are not in a position to do that at some theoretical point in the future. That is why I raised the Musgrave versus Superquinn issue. In the case of the takeovers of British Midland International and British Caledonian, they disappeared. The winner takes all in that situation. Staying with what we have, which is a proven success and growing airline that is at the approximate point where Ryanair and easyJet were at the turn of the century, will give the growth, not relying on an airline which is completely overshadowed in its home market by easyJet, with its tens of millions of passengers, and by Ryanair. I do not know where this growth is supposed to come from by relying on British Airways.

I support everything Mr. Fenn said about tourism. I was a director of Bord Fáilte in the past - the Minister, Deputy Bruton, asked me to go on the board - and my main work was to break up cartel airlines and secure some competition. Now I am in the Seanad. These two airlines should be competing but the far less impressive one has more money to take over the very impressive one, which has been doing well as a reformed legacy airline. The restaurants and hotels need that, and I support them fully. I would hate to be a Scotsman waiting for British Airways to deliver much in the way of tourism to his country.