Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Obviously, it confirms the Government's view that this is a strong company, which has the right business plan, the right opportunities, considerable potential for growth in the marketplace and is now on the move in terms of its own development.

I agree the Government moved over the past number of years to facilitate the break-up of a monopoly in Irish aviation because we did not think it was good for business and that it facilitated the advent of Ryanair, which has worked successfully, from the aviation point of view, for the benefit of the economy.

What we do not want — this is potentially what is happening — is an attempt by Ryanair to create a private monopoly in the aviation sector. Such a monopoly would be bad for business, bad for tourism, bad for the economy and bad for customers in this country. That is my strongly held view and that of the Government.

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