Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted that there is general consensus across the House about the potential sale of Aer Lingus. The question I have concerns the advantage there would be in selling the 25.1% stake in Aer Lingus. I do not see many advantages. The key element is not the value of €300 million that we would reap for the State which, let us face it, is very little. The Minister for Finance said that in the last quarter he had taken in €1 billion more in taxes than he had expected; therefore, it is nice to hear that we are on the up. Unless it was very convincing, I would not see the raising of €300 million as a very god reason to sell, given the key issue of connectivity, not just with Dublin but also with the regions, particularly the west and the south west.

Up and down the west coast there are families with a member who commutes to London every week and uses these flights. They work in London and rear their families in Ireland. That connectivity is worth gold, which is why IAG wants the slots. It is stunning to see that Aer Lingus is the fourth busiest airline at Heathrow Airport. Any deal contemplated by the Government must guarantee the retention of these slots and connectivity with the regions, not a reduction of flights. I heard an analyst speak yesterday about Cork and Shannon airports and he said it was quite reasonable that they get rid of a few flights. He seemed to know something about it. Therefore, let us have that debate. I am delighted that the Government is thinking long and hard about this issue.

I support the reasonable call made for a debt conference when every aspect of our debt would be examined. Is it not a practical proposal? I was struck by what Senator Sean D. Barrett said that if we were to examine every aspect of our debt, we would at least see that while 50% of it was our fault, the other 50% was definitely attributable to the European side. We must never forget that the Irish saved the European banking system. It is a valid call and it would be wise to have such a debate. Perhaps the Greek elections have caused the matter to be raised again, but we need it for ourselves as part of the European project.