Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Aer Lingus is to remain under IAG control for seven years, therefore the agreement the Government has reached with IAG is a stay of execution. IAG and Willie Walsh are interested in the Heathrow slots. They are not concerned with the shamrock on the tail wing or the future of Cork, Shannon or Dublin airports. As it becomes more unlikely that a third Heathrow runway will go ahead, the Heathrow slots have become more valuable to a company such as IAG. However, the blame for any future transfer of Aer Lingus, for example from IAG to another company, or the loss of jobs or services by IAG cannot be laid at the feet of IAG. IAG is a private, for profit company, and I have no problem with that. Its allegiance is to its shareholders and its job is to maximise return on investment for its shareholders.

Is the Government naive enough to believe that any agreement it signs with IAG will be maintained for seven years, let alone beyond that? IAG has a track record that shows its interest is not in providing jobs or supporting the countries from which its airlines operate. When Iberia was privatised, it was a good employer. Within one year, more than 5,000 jobs had been cut. That is more than the entire staff of Aer Lingus. The Government believes it can have a say in Aer Lingus after selling it off. I believe that is patent nonsense. It is like a builder selling me a house but saying it is only on condition that the bathroom tiles remain pink because he likes pink. It is unenforceable and makes no sense.

When Labour Party and Fine Gael backbenchers and Ministers attack people such as me and try to drown out what we are saying, the problem is that I am not the only one with these opinions. I represent a lot of people, and ignoring me and people like me is the same as ignoring the many people who agree with my views. While I would not suggest that the Minister would dismiss me and score cheap political points, some on the benches would, and every time they do so, they do it to many people. A failure to listen to and respect contrary opinion is what got Ireland into the mess in the first place, and people know it.

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