Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I am saying from 50% up to 60%. The Minister said the Government would retain 25% and there is a further 15% for the staff. If 40 is subtracted from 100, it leaves 60, and a majority stake is anywhere between 50% and 60%. It is only then that Aer Lingus can take its hands from behind its back, where they have been tied for the past few years. It had a Government shareholder that by its very nature could not take a decision. Surely we should have realised by now that the Government should not be involved in such a sector, which is so volatile and risky and in which decisions must be made not within three months but within two or three days. That is where I see the future of Aer Lingus. I have no doubt it will survive and thrive, providing a hub between America and Europe. Its future success can only be achieved by going out to fight for business with competitive rates.

At a recent Oireachtas meeting, Mr. Gary McGann, the new chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority, said that the greatest increase in traffic through Dublin Airport had been in the low-cost aviation sector. If that is where the business is, the users of the airport must follow that model. If Ryanair can process 33% of passengers with 16% of the ticket desks, one has to ask what sort of efficiency savings must be introduced. That is why I support the current business plan, and I would support another; business cannot stand still. The Opposition attempted to demonstrate differences within the Government, but one need only look at the last election manifestoes of the parties that would form an alternative Government regarding both the terminal and the sale of Aer Lingus. They are diametrically opposed, while the Taoiseach's comments mirror precisely those of the Progressive Democrats.