Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Let us assess this from the point of view of the country, not what suits the officials in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, who have a long tradition of allowing cartels to operate between airlines, with huge fares and so on. They are so keen to have Aer Lingus absorbed into British Airways. It is not in the Irish national interest that it should do so, and we need a debate in the House on it. I regret very much that a senior official is reported to have sent that correspondence to the UK authorities in the way in which it is reported.