Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)

The bid by Ryanair for Aer Lingus presents a double challenge to the Government. It presents a challenge on the financial front and it presents a political challenge as well. I note the Taoiseach's response to the leader of Fianna Fáil that it is not possible for the Government to veto the bid. On the financial side, it looks to me as if the €1.30 offer is pretty well a no brainer. I understand the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has said that the minimum price the State would accept is €1. This bid of €1.30 per share puts the Government in the position where it presumably could accept the offer.

On the political level, however, it is a much harder decision for the Government to take, particularly because Ryanair has played such an extraordinarily beneficial part in the country's prosperity. The chief executive officer is a poacher par excellence in terms of commercial activity. This deal has the potential to convert the company from an aggressive, lean, mean, independent and challenging airline into a mega gamekeeper in terms of Irish aviation. I would like to hear the Taoiseach's opinion and position on this. I accept the State does not have a veto, but it would be very dangerous if this Government, by the sale of its 25% stake to Ryanair, were to facilitate a position whereby any airline would have the sort of dominance which the competition authorities in the EU forbade on the last occasion. Very little has changed since that time. It would be useful if the Taoiseach would knock this particular proposal on its head here and now by saying that the Government will not facilitate - the word "allow" might not be right - any airline from anywhere getting into a position where it holds 80% of the air traffic and controls 35% of the routes into this country. Will the Taoiseach state specifically that he will not allow a monopoly or a dominant position in airlines in this country, any more than it would be allowed in any other sector?

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