Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Is it not a fact that the Minister seriously misled this House on 26 September 2007 when responding to the debate on Shannon Airport? I note that the 2006 annual report clearly states on corporate governance that the board is responsible for establishing overall group strategy, including new activities and withdrawal from existing activities.

The Minister and his predecessor, Deputy Martin Cullen, knew of the danger to slots at Shannon and possibly at Cork and Dublin since the expansion project. Is it not clear that Mr. Francis Hackett, the existing governor appointed by the Government, would have known of this expansion plan and would have been duty bound to bring it to the Minister's attention, notwithstanding the presence of directors such as Mr. Chris Wall and Mr. Ivor Fitzpatrick on the board?

The Minister now says that the two new directors will receive a mandate to look at regional policy and protect connectivity in Ireland. Surely that was the existing mandate for Mr. Hackett? Did the Minister, therefore, mislead the House on the matter during his speech on Shannon? Either the Minister should resign, with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, or he is leading a totally dysfunctional Department, in which case he should still resign.

Is there a management committee structure in the Department? I certainly could not find any minutes of such a committee on the website. I shadowed the Minister when he was Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and there was a management committee to which the Minister referred me several times. Why was this not passed up the line from Mr. John Murphy to the Secretary General to the Minister?

On the day he entered the Department, the Minister was given this document, a briefing of all the activities of the Department as of 14 June. Ms Julie O'Neill kindly gave me a copy when I became Labour Party spokesman on transport. It refers to a wide range of problems that might arise, but it does not mention the elephant in the room. Was the Minister not duty bound to ask if there were problems with the ongoing privatisation of Aer Lingus and Shannon Airport? Did the Minister not fail in that duty and mislead the House and should he not now resign?

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