Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and will act on his advice by not going back over any of the territory covered by previous speakers. I wish to ask a question about the protection of employment, but before doing so, I thank the witnesses for their presentations. While I may not agree with everything they have said, I respect them for coming before the committee and being both direct and forthright in what they have to say. We cannot accuse the witnesses of not being forthright today.

All of us here will agree that there is a national sentiment around the brand name of Aer Lingus. If one asks people about Aer Lingus, which used to be a State-owned company, most will say that they feel that Aer Lingus belongs to all of us. The reality, of course, is that it does not and we must deal with life as it is. The sentiment is there but sentiment will not provide one's breakfast. There is still an attachment to Aer Lingus on the part of many people. I say all of this in the context of the fact that as legislators we are receiving correspondence about this to the effect that Ireland is an island off an island and if Aer Lingus is sold, we will divorce ourselves from everything in terms of aviation and will lose everything. As I said, that is based on sentiment but it is how people feel.

As a lifelong trade unionist, my big question is about outsourcing, which will have a very big influence on how people on this side of the House will make their decision. We are just crawling our way out of a very bad recession. I admire the witnesses' confidence about the future and we certainly need such confidence. However, I would like them to address the issues of direct employment and security of employment. I am realistic enough to know that there are very few certainties in life but I would like the witnesses to connect the confidence they feel about the future with the fact that there must also be some confidence and security for those who already work in Aer Lingus. In a post-buy out scenario, for example, how will people like us, as legislators, know we have done the right thing and that people who work for Aer Lingus will have job security?