Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I understand there is a deficit of somewhere in the region of €500 million. Obviously, this exerts significant strain on the capacity of the fund to remain solvent into the future. As the Minister said, there is no capacity for future new members, which is one issue. Aer Lingus has been privatised and there is a belief that it has no liability to plug a potential gap. However, I noticed during the week that one of its significant shareholders indicated that Aer Lingus would perhaps make a payment in this regard. Taking this in the context of the Minister's stated intention to progress the issue of the ownership and management of the three State airports, does he believe the State has a liability in this regard? Does he believe it will ultimately, through whatever structure is in place, have to find a way to plug what appears to be a substantial hole?

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