Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Mr. O'Leary has managed successfully and with great aplomb to have both the Tánaiste and Deputy Enda Kenny jumping to his tune within 48 hours. It is a fair achievement. I am touched by his great concern for job creation in Ireland. I know all about it because in the past ten years I have spoken to people from Shannon, counties Kerry and Galway, Knock and Cork and heard how Mr. O'Leary played one body off against the other and continues to do so. The record should show that he was offered by Dublin Airport everything he received at Prestwick but that is not to say the Tánaiste handled the matter well. She walked straight into a trap. She should have been happy to meet Mr. O'Leary at Dublin Airport to secure the 500 jobs when he had them and give him whatever he was looking for. His idea seems to be that people can break contracts with Aer Lingus for the famous hangar No. 6. He can get everything he is looking for from the Dublin Airport Authority. That should be stated clearly, as should the fact that the Tánaiste just walked into Mr. O'Leary's trap. Mr. O'Leary now has the entire political system jumping to his tune. I do not believe we will ever see the jobs in question, no matter what he is given. I guarantee that the first item that will come up today in the discussions with him will be the same item that has come up at every airport in Europe to which he has brought the same proposal in the past two years, namely, how much will he get from us — the taxpayer — in order to create the jobs in question?