Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As outlined previously during my party colleagues' contributions, the Government's decision to sell its share in Aer Lingus is a short-sighted move which will create years of uncertainty and economic difficulties for the State. It will create uncertainty for the thousands of workers who work for Aer Lingus or who work peripherally to it in Ireland. A major question mark hangs over the assurances the Government has stated will be given and whether they can be enforced or fulfilled. Is it realistic to assume that the State, in selling 25% of a company, will be able to hold a major multinational grouping to agreements that are in our interests for seven years thereafter? I think not. Rational thinking will tell us where interests lie. IAG is a private, for-profit operation, the commitment of which is to bottom line profits and its shareholders. lts track record shows that providing jobs or supporting the countries from which its airlines operate features nowhere in its priorities. Therefore, it is up to the Government to protect the State's interests. The money raised from the sale will supposedly be used in a so-called "connectivity fund". The Government is short-selling actual connectivity today to fund notional connectivity in the future. This is precarious at best. Regional airports such as Cork Airport have been promised investment, but this does not seem likely to happen. We do not trust the commitments made by IAG, given its track record; nor do we trust the Government's spin.

The manner in which the motion is being rushed through the House has instilled no faith in Opposition Members in this process. Fine Gael Deputies and, more particularly, Labour Party Deputies know that this deal is not wanted by the public or Aer Lingus workers. Any fair observer can vouch for the importance of Aer Lingus to the economy but particularly to regional airports such as that in Cork city. IAG does not have a track record of supporting smaller airports. It is very much focused on a number of major hubs, particularly Heathrow Airport. We know this to be the case and the entire reason Mr. Willie Walsh is seeking to buy Aer Lingus is to gain control of its Heathrow Airport slots. He is acutely aware of the value of those slots. IAG, from its hub, in Heathrow Airport has failed to improve services through British Airways in any other British airport in Scotland, Wales or the north of England. Aer Lingus has developed nine north Atlantic routes, while British Airways has developed none from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Manchester or Birmingham and we may as well add Cork Airport to that list. The Scottish National Party has argued that British Airways has actually hampered plans for development of new routes from Scotland. Aer Lingus has had great success in the smaller market served by regional airports. IAG, on the other hand, has only made a commitment to continue Cork Airport's Paris and Amsterdam routes through Aer Lingus which, without a sell-off, would still be the case. Cork Airport needs IAG like a hole in the head. In seven years time, will there be any slot for services from Cork Airport to Heathrow Airport? Mr. Walsh has made it clear that he wants slots for services to Asia and South America. That is where the profit is and that is what drives IAG, not Ireland's interests and certainly not the interests of regional airports such as Cork Airport.

See this speech in context