Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The 25% stake in Aer Lingus belongs to the State and to the taxpayer. That is where it will go. It will not go to a private pension fund. As I have said, the steering group is doing its work on the sale of the stake at the moment. It is fair to say we will be careful in this area. It would not be my view that the stake should be sold quickly or cheaply. This asset belongs to the people, and that must be taken into account. At the same time, we have to bear in mind that 75% of the company is in private ownership already. Any other shareholder that reaches 30% ownership will be in a position to present a takeover bid, and any shareholder that reaches 50% ownership will be in a position to force the State to sell its stake to it. We must be aware that it would make more sense to sell our stake at a time of our choosing than to be forced to do so.

See this speech in context