Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I said to the Deputy, Aer Lingus is now in a period of offer. This morning, the board of Aer Lingus issued a statement which briefly referenced IAG's intentions regarding the future of the company and indicated Aer Lingus would operate as a separate business with its own brand, management and operations, and would continue to provide connectivity to Ireland while benefiting from the scale of being part of a larger IAG group. The Minister briefed the Cabinet on the up-to-date situation. The Aer Lingus is now in an offer period. The working group appointed by the Minister will engage with IAG in the coming days to consider all of the implications of the offer being made. I must be very careful about what I say. This is the position. Aer Lingus is now in an offer period. The appointed persons arising from the tenders will be announced tomorrow by the Minister. The Government, as the guardian of the public interest, must take into account the wider implications of any such offer, taking into account the issues of conductivity, regionalisation, employment and workers and their rights and the implications contained in the offer from IAG. The working group, together with those who will be appointed tomorrow, will engage with IAG, and the Government will consider this very carefully, very thoroughly and very competitively as is its duty being the guardian of the public interest.

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