Shane Ross (Independent)

I endorse what many have said about the issue of employment being so important at present. It has been highlighted, as everybody will be aware, by the spat between the chief executive of Ryanair, Mr. Michael O'Leary, and the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coughlan, in the past few days. If one could put the theatricals aside for a minute, Mr. O'Leary has highlighted some extremely important issues to do with employment and with what is happening in the State's ownership of certain semi-State companies. Not only does the State own 100% of the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, it also owns 25.4% of Aer Lingus. These are the two bodies supposedly in conflict about hangar 6. I ask the Leader to have a debate on why the State still continues to insist on maintaining 100% of one and 25.4% of the other if, apparently, it has no clout in this matter. There is no point owning in a monopolistic way the DAA and owning 25.4% of Aer Lingus if one is getting no return commercially. These are two commercial dead ducks. They will not make the State any money, if the State cannot get a commercial return for what it is backing or cannot exercise any clout.

We were told when Aer Lingus was partially privatised that the State insisted on holding 25.4% because it has a strategic national interest. Apparently, the Tánaiste is saying she is terribly sorry but there is damn all she can do to get these two bodies together to reach an agreement which will save 300 jobs. That is not acceptable. It begs the question of what the Government is doing with these two vital stakes. It should not hold them anymore if it cannot get a dividend or exercise clout. It also begs a question-----