Feargal Quinn (Independent)

During the week there were reports on the Government selling Aer Lingus. Even considering its sale would be dangerous. The carrot is that we will maintain the slots at Heathrow Airport, but this is not a tin pot country that will put up with being told to remove ownership of the airline from Irish hands. Ryanair is a commercial concern. What would happen if we were to need a national airline to evacuate Irish people from a country in which there was a problem? What would happen if we were to need an airline but had lost control? I would welcome the Minister's attendance in the Chamber to discuss this issue.

We must highlight the fact that we do not consider the sale of Aer Lingus as one of the options being imposed on us by the troika which has told us that we need to sell national assets. If we are to sell the national airline, let us ensure no foreign company takes more than a 49% stake. Tourism is essential, yet Irish tourism would have no importance for a foreigner for whom any decision would be purely commercial. I have argued strongly in favour of privatisation of many concerns, but Aer Lingus is an Irish icon and has established itself as something of which we can be proud. Retaining ownership of it is essential if we are not to lose control of this outlet for tourism and exports. While tourism is one of our great earners, it would not be in the interests of a commercial concern to regard it as such if other outlets would be more beneficial commercially. We wear two hats - commercial and security. We should strongly recommend to the Government that it not allow one of the options imposed on it to be the sale of more than a 49% stake in Aer Lingus to be place in foreign hands.