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

The value is evident in a number of ways, including the value of the stake itself and the dividends the company can pay every year. Value is also evident in the employment Aer Lingus provides and the connectivity it provides to the rest of the world. We are an island nation and that is more important to us than to most nations. We cannot rule out the possibility that there could be a buyer in the future who would be willing to retain the brand and expand the airline rather than breaking it up and who would be willing to pay a very good price. The Government has not ruled out the sale of the remaining stake. We will do it if it is in the interests of the country as a whole and not just to raise a bit of money in one particular year.

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