Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, the mid west suffered another hammer blow with the decision of Aer Lingus to close its Shannon base. This has the potential to be catastrophic for the mid-west region. The Shannon-London-Heathrow connection, and these onward connections are vital to the people of the mid west and businesses in the area.

Sinn Féin vigorously opposed the privatisation of Aer Lingus in 2015 and we said at the time that it would leave the State at a strategic disadvantage and could cost jobs. The decision to sell off this key State asset now severely weakens the Government’s hand in this situation. We warned at the time that Aer Lingus was of such strategic importance to the State and to the mid-west region that it must be kept in State ownership. My thoughts are with the families and workers today. The Minister for Transport has taken a hands-off approach to aviation for too long and aviation workers are paying the price.

Yesterday the Taoiseach washed his hands of the problem by blaming it on the pandemic. The anger from staff and their families is palpable. This cannot be blamed on the pandemic alone. The real problem is the Government’s lack of planning. We have a crisis in aviation and jobs are being lost, many of which will not be replaced. We need direct intervention from the Taoiseach as the Minister for Transport is not up to the task.

See this speech in context