Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Transport the reason he has insisted on the privatisation of Aer Lingus without satisfactory consultation with Aer Lingus staff and their union representatives. [16177/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I do not accept that I have not consulted satisfactorily with Aer Lingus staff or trade unions on the future of the company. Prior to the Government decision in May last year to dispose of a majority shareholding in Aer Lingus to facilitate equity investment in the company I had consulted with the trade unions on the future ownership structure and funding requirements of the company as required under the terms of Sustaining Progress.

Since then and prior to the recent decision concerning the basis on which an investment transaction is to take place I met with a delegation of the Aer Lingus trade unions and officials from Congress on three separate occasions in June 2005 and on 2nd March and 3rd April this year.

In addition, the agreement reached with the Aer Lingus trade unions concerning the Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) provides for a consultation process in relation to any third party investment in Aer Lingus. Pursuant to that agreement Department officials and the advisors to the Minister for Finance and myself have met on a number of occasions with the advisors to the Aer Lingus Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT) and the Aer Lingus Central Representative Council (the latter being a representative body of the Aer Lingus Unions).