John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased with today's discourse regarding the sale of Aer Lingus. The Seanad should voice its unanimous and stout opposition to any attempt to sell the national carrier from under us for a pittance. The State would receive €300 million for its share in a company that has €400 million in its bank account. The sale of Aer Lingus would be the final straw for many people. As other Senators pointed out, we need only consider what happened to the beet industry and the loss in employment in rural areas that followed its closure or the privatisation of Eircom, which left swaths of the country without decent broadband or connectivity, to use a word that is often applied in the context of airports.

Now we are told that this has been taken out of our hands. It may well be that the Government does not have a strong hand in that it only retains 25% of Aer Lingus. I believe we should retain that stake to maintain our claim and influence over the national carrier and all it holds. If the Heathrow slots are of such significance, we should retain them and use them to develop from the regional airports our tourism and other industries. I do not believe it would be a good day's work for Irish workers or the economy if Aer Lingus were sold.

There were heated exchanges over the legitimate fears that Irish Water might be sold off by another Government down the road at some later stage. Why would anyone believe us that this would not happen if we turn a blind eye and allow Aer Lingus to be sold out from underneath us, for what are really 30 pieces of silver? The €300 million windfall is mere pocket money when compared to the real investment, real money and the long-term advantage we would get in retaining Aer Lingus. At least we should retain our stake and influence if we do not have outright control. We should not support the sale of Aer Lingus.