Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am inclined to agree with the Minister that there is no reason to believe Aer Lingus will lose the Heathrow slots or that the market will not dictate that those slots will remain and be used for the benefit of Irish passengers. It is probably true that if the market was to change, there is very little the Government, as a minority owner, could do to ensure that a majority owner did not sell on the slots. I know that the EU has adjudicated on similar issues.

Does the Minister agree, given that we will have little or no control over slots in the long term, it is extremely important that Aer Lingus is equipped to develop more direct routes, particularly long-haul routes, to lessen its dependence on Heathrow as a hub? Does the Minister agree that it is worrying that on the very day a private operator launches new routes from Cork to the United States, Aer Lingus is threatening to withdraw routes from Dublin to the United States, for example, the routes to Los Angeles and Orlando? Does he not agree that this is an example of how Aer Lingus is almost being run into the ground through lack of decision-making about its future? Events are taking place all over the world that are placing Aer Lingus at a disadvantage.

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