Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Let us face the fact that this proceeding is not a debate, but rather statements. We will arrive in here at approximately this time tomorrow and the Government will use its majority. If it were a debate, we would have a chance to tease through some of the issues that have been raised. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, cited his expert group giving one price while Pádraig Ó Céidigh of Aer Arran who knows something about flying a plane says we should be getting €3 per share. If this was a debate, we would be able to tease that out. It is extraordinary that the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions spoke for the Minister, Deputy Howlin, saying neither of them had sight of the Nyras report. He is the Taoiseach and I presume he is correct as Taoisigh normally are. The Nyras report was commissioned by IAG and the board of Aer Lingus to look at potential cost savings including redundancies. On the one hand this process is about job creation, yet the big white elephant with the green shamrock on its tail is the Nyras report. IAG and Aer Lingus did not commission that report for fun. They commissioned it with the serious intent of looking at the business model of Aer Lingus and ways the takeover would achieve what it needs to for them. What it needs to do for them is add to their bottom line in the most extensive way possible. Fair dues to them, IAG is a publicly quoted company and has a justification to make a return to shareholders. Aer Lingus will now be part of that culture. I hope the Minister, Deputy Howlin, is right and the Aer Lingus brand and the shamrock will be in more places across the world. I hope it will be there in ten years when the guarantees have run out and Willie Walsh has moved on to another job and there is someone in charge of IAG who does not really care about Aer Lingus except about the bottom line. In fairness to Willie Walsh, he has been very clear in saying this morning that he is in favour of what this brings to IAG. That is his job. Somewhere along the line, we are not getting the chance or the opportunity, notwithstanding that a commitment was given that this would come back to the transport committee, for a line by line analysis of any deal. The committee was to go through everything that was committed to and tease it out. If the Dáil, which the Taoiseach called "this premier Chamber" this morning, meant anything, we would be having that discussion rather than a series of statements. I say one thing, the Minister says another, it goes around the Chamber and the questions are not actually answered. Nevertheless, there will be a vote here tomorrow and it will be phenomenally successful for the Government. Meanwhile, the questions will still be there.

Why is Aer Lingus as close to the Irish people as it is? It is for many reasons. It is our national airline, but most importantly, the flying experience for those of us who are lucky enough to have flown with the carrier is always positive. It is positive on the back of the staff who do not do what other airlines do. They take an interest in people and are concerned about them. Aer Lingus has always been there for the country in good times and, especially, in bad. The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and I both know that on occasion that involves bringing people home to funerals. Aer Lingus has always stood in and done it when other airlines would not.

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