Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister, as always, for engaging in dialogue. The Seanad has a huge role to play in this matter. Part of my disquiet is that the media leaks seem to be bypassing Parliament as if it did not matter. Some of the utterances have been dismissive of the Deputies and Senators from north Dublin, Cork and, of course, County Clare. It should be remembered that there was deregulation because there was a parliamentary revolt in 1984 by seven Deputies, four from Fine Gael and three from Fianna Fáil - one of whom was half out of Fianna Fáil.

In the preface to a book I wrote on this matter Alfred Khan said I was the expert on the Ryanair model and the revolutionary impact on aviation in Europe. He also documented in this volume the almost equally dramatic successful adaptation of Aer Lingus from a traditional European national carrier to operating in the new deregulated market, in contrast with other former national airlines in Europe which had either left the market or been absorbed by larger carriers. Being absorbed by larger carriers has not been in the interests of services to UK regions, including Wales, Scotland, the north of England and the midlands. I do not want that fate to befall us. The former Taoiseach, Mr. John Bruton, asked me to go on the tourist board, a place where I kept praying for airline deregulation. The Aer Lingus product was so good and still is that for many North Americans their holiday began when they boarded the aircraft. Someone once said that it began even before this in the Aer Lingus lounge. It is an iconic product. British Airways does not have this status and we would be wrong to sell the company to it. It is not worth doing so for the €300 million suggested to the Department of Finance, half of which would go to the troika.

I think of the vision of Seán Lemass who had aeroplanes ready to go in 1948, but the then Government cancelled them. That happened during the month of April and I hope we will not sell the airline this April, as it has such a role to play. Let us have a vision for the country. Aer Lingus is part of that vision; British Airways-IAG is not. In another jurisdiction services have been closed down at Barcelona to be transferred to Madrid. The hub and spoke model will not suit us. I want Dublin Airport competing with Heathrow Airport and Aer Lingus competing with British Airways. I do not want it to be part of it and do not want it to be subsumed by it. If the Aer Lingus board does not want to be independent, it should go. We need people with vision to develop the airline, not to sell it to British Airways.