Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It was a devastating period. We were out meeting workers who were standing on the cold footpaths outside the airport wondering what lay in their futures. Offers were made to them and they took reductions in working hours, redeployment and all those options. It was devastating for some of them, who were there 20 and 30 years, to see a new base open up and new recruitment under way in Manchester. It is factually correct to say the money that was given to Aer Lingus was solely for its existing workforce, but the €60 million freed up financial options for the company to look at other things.