Mr. Michael O'Leary:

We have tried to be positive. It is not just a matter of us demanding the cap be lifted and saying it is stupid. We are asking that the cap be lifted because that will allow us to guarantee growth of 50% in traffic over the next five or six years. This would fill all the hotels and restaurants and create enormous new employment opportunities here. I find it deeply disappointing that having given the Minister, Deputy Ryan, our proposal and it now being some two and a half months later, he has not lifted a finger, has not replied and has not done anything at all. We did get some letter from the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, but it did not say anything. It was pretty much the case that it acknowledged our letter and said it was being looked at.

We are Europe's largest airline. If we make a big submission to our Minister for Transport, then we expect action and a reply. I wonder what would happen if any other multinational came to Ireland and promised to invest what we are promising to invest in this scenario. Basing another 16 aircraft here would represent €2 billion of additional investment and create about another 7,500 jobs. If any other multinational came here and made this offer, its representatives would be straight off to Farmleigh or wherever it is the Government operates in this respect these days. I think we suffer sometimes because we are Irish and that there is an assumption, "Ah sure, it is just Ryanair". We should, and the Government should, have a more focused approach on capturing this growth because it is being lost to other EU countries now.