Derek McDowell (Labour)

I will try to come at this from a different angle. The legislation, when enacted, will allow for a transfer of a great deal of authority to the interim boards. Am I right in assuming that the Minister wishes the maximum possible level of authority to be transferred to the interim boards as soon as possible? Are we likely to find ourselves in the position within a matter of weeks or shortly after the appointed days where the interim board will deal with staff issues and so on and people will to all intents and purposes be working to the interim board? Is that the reality?

Completion of the deal has been postponed until 30 April 2005. Is the reality on the ground to be that the interim boards will in effect act de facto as the real boards within a matter of weeks of the legislation being passed? Is that what the Minister envisages? I raise the matter by way of amendment because there is a real dilemma in the context of the Dublin Airport authority having real responsibility for operations on the ground in Cork and Shannon Airports when it might not deem that to be in the overall interests of the company.