Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

——but did not succeed in making contact. He told the principal officer to make contact, which was initiated. There was a conversation. I do not want to be accused of misleading the House, because I am not sure of this, but there was a conversation in the afternoon between the assistant secretary and the chief executive of Aer Lingus in which the information about the Belfast hub was conveyed. He was told that Belfast was one of a number of places being considered but that no final decision had been made, and that there could be implications for Shannon if it was chosen. The assistant secretary indicated what he knew to be Government policy——

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