Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I had better start again.

In mid-January the DAA informed the Department that as part of preparations for global restructuring SR Technics had agreed to sell certain hangars back to the DAA and had signed a letter of intent to that effect. The Minister was informed of these developments at the time.

The Department and the Minister had been made aware by the DAA in mid-November of contacts between SR Technics and the DAA about possible restructuring of SR Technics and as a consequence the possible return of hangar leases. The DAA advised that as it had signed a strict confidentiality agreement with SR Technics, it was therefore precluded from providing the Department with details of the discussions at that stage.

Subsequently, in late December, the DAA advised the Department that these discussions were progressing but were still subject to a strict confidentiality agreement and that any restructuring of SR Technics could have a significant impact on employment in the Dublin operation.

Once it became clear in November 2007 that the Aer Lingus maintenance contracts were being put out to tender, the Department of Transport alerted the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to the potential implications for employment in the event that SR Technics was not successful in the tender competition.

Since then there has been ongoing contact with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, including contact between Ministers, in the context of the threat to jobs in the company. The Department and the DAA——

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