Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is factually the case, but if you are doing your shopping on Friday and I subsidise the purchase of your petrol, that gives you more money to go into Lidl, Aldi or Tesco to buy your groceries. This is the point. A huge amount of taxpayers' money - almost €60 million - was funnelled into the company. It was the right thing to do. It was about protecting workers, allowing the company to remain intact and emerge in a healthy fashion from the Covid-19 pandemic. That €60 million unburdened Aer Lingus from other financial commitments. It allowed it the space to explore other opportunities and the other opportunity explored, delivered and pursued was the opening of a new base in Manchester.