Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach, in his reply, stated the Government is abandoning the Shannon-Heathrow route. That is a disgraceful abandonment of regional policy and of the people of the west and mid-west. It is an abandonment of the country's strategic interests as they relate to Aer Lingus.

In his reply to the question about the appointment of the board the Taoiseach said the decision was a management one. What is a board of directors for, if not to supervise what management is doing, make it accountable and direct it where direction is required? If direction was not required on this type of issue where does a board of directors give direction? I cannot think of an issue more strategic to the interests of the country or of the company than the decision made in respect of Shannon. The strategic nature of the decision was flagged by Deputy Cullen, then Minister for Transport, when he identified it as the kind of strategic issue which the State would use its 25% shareholding to protect. The Government did not even appoint a sufficient number of directors to protect the State's interests and the strategic interests of the country when the company was making this decision. The Government abandoned its responsibility for the people and the country's strategic interests in relation to Aer Lingus. The Taoiseach has confirmed that this morning.

People who are planning to book an Aer Lingus flight need to hear something more definite about the plans to settle the current industrial relations difficulties in the company than we heard this morning.

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