Seanad debates

Wednesday, 10 October 2007

4:00 pm

Photo of Mary WhiteMary White (Fianna Fail)

——the Government, business people and industrialists in the Shannon region, its loyal staff, councillors from Galway to Kerry, the tourism industry and the people of the mid-west. This was not the behaviour of a world-class company as normal companies look after their customers with respect. One need only consider how Senator Quinn treated his customers. The customer was king and he wrote a book, Crowning the Customer, on the subject. Similarly, one should consider how Tesco, as a successful world company, looks after its customers and provides them with their needs.

It was a savage act on the part of Aer Lingus to do this to its 320,000 customers. Lest any Opposition Member is in doubt, the Minister's speech makes it clear the Government did not know about this. The Minister, on his own behalf as well as that of the Taoiseach and the Government, has reiterated his deep disappointment to Dermot Mannion and the board regarding the withdrawal of the slots for four return flights per day to Heathrow Airport.

Everyone who flies to London prefers to fly into Heathrow Airport rather than Gatwick or Stansted airports. For example, those business people who wish to travel to South Africa, the Middle East or the Far East and who can only fly into Gatwick or Stansted cannot run their luggage straight through. What business people do not wish to be able to send their luggage straight through to their destination? Those who travel to Stansted or Gatwick will be obliged to collect their luggage and journey to Heathrow to get to Cape Town.

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