Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

The motion brought forward by the Government regarding the privatisation of Aer Lingus is an absolute insult not only to the general public but also and especially to the Aer Lingus staff who have been invaluable in building up the company. They have been internationally commended for building up the airline as one of the foremost airlines globally and for their major contribution in returning the company to record profitability. Many of the Aer Lingus staff will justifiably view the proposed sale as a betrayal of all their sacrifices and success in rescuing the airline and restoring it to a healthy position, and we in Sinn Féin absolutely supported them in their industrial action this morning.

Privatisation of Aer Lingus will benefit no one, apart from those who have fat wallets anyway. The public will suffer and the workers will suffer. My party has continually opposed the privatisation of Aer Lingus and wholeheartedly supported the opinions of the trade unionists, the workers, the local authorities and even the Fianna Fáil councillors who were willing to voice their concern regarding this ridiculous manoeuvre by the Government. Those Fianna Fáil councillors are in stark contrast to that party's Deputies from the area who have not come out in support of the workers.

Privatisation in itself threatens job security; it costs only the taxpayer and will inevitably lead to the same "race to the bottom" scenario we witnessed with Irish Ferries. The Government would have us believe that the objective of privatising Aer Lingus would be to save a floundering company, when in fact the only objective in privatising this semi-State body is to profit a few at the expense of many. Aer Lingus should remain in the hands of Irish people and this valuable asset should not be so wantonly distributed to those who care not for the public Aer Lingus serves or the workers it employs, but only for those who want to make a quick buck. It is an absolute scandal that the Government would even utter such an idea and then try and fool us into believing that it is of great benefit for not only the company, but also the State as a whole. It is not working.

Regardless of the Government's idea that privatisation will somehow magically raise the amount of money that is required for capital investment and development, which it will not, it remains a mystery to my colleagues and me that if Aer Lingus is good enough for a private investor to invest in, then what is the problem with the State investing?

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