Derek McDowell (Labour)

I join my colleagues in thanking the Minister for the courtesy he has extended to the House. I also thank the Leader for the sterling leadership she has given to the Opposition over the past few days. There were times when we felt entirely redundant, when the Government seemed more than capable of providing its own opposition.

The Bill is important. The Labour Party's opposition to it is largely based on our view of it as the thin end of the wedge, as a portent of things to come of which we are likely to be a good deal less supportive. There are obvious concerns, particularly for Shannon. It will be necessary to set up the company in a way that ensures it will be viable into the future. I do not believe we have all the pieces of the jigsaw in place yet. There is certainly much work to be done between now and the so-called appointed days. I wish the Minister well. It is important from everyone's point view, particularly the point of view of the mid-western region generally, that he gets it right. I hope he does so without doing irreparable damage to the company as a whole. We must respect what is left, the still important business of maintaining and running Dublin Airport. It is important that the new companies are set up in a way that does not do violence to its capacity to do that. We are also conscious of the implications for Aer Rianta International, the Great Southern Hotels and so on. We are taking a leap into the dark and it is in everybody's interest that it works out.