Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I apologise. I called for such a debate following a presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport. Yesterday, a further presentation was made to that joint Oireachtas committee, which I can only describe as a whinge. People who came before the joint committee yesterday asked a basic question. Given the basic nature of the question the Minister must come to the House to outline the function and role of Aer Lingus. That is the question the unions asked yesterday.

If they have a problem with that, so do I. From what I heard yesterday and at the previous presentation, there is a divergence of views. Management seems to think its role is to provide customers with a competitive price to fly on aircraft. From their presentation yesterday, the unions seem to believe Aer Lingus is no more than a job retention rather than a job creation agency, and certainly not an agency that should look for customers from which employment would follow.