Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Transport when he will appoint the two directors of the Aer Lingus board which he has failed to appoint to date; if he will give the new appointees a clear goal to restore connectivity between Shannon Airport and London Heathrow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28640/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The State is entitled under the Memorandum and Articles of Association to appoint three directors to the board of Aer Lingus. Currently there is one State appointed director serving on the board and it is now proposed that two further appointments will be made in the near future.

The State's appointees will seek to ensure that all future decisions of the Company, which have significant implications for wider government, aviation or regional development policies, are considered at board level. This will give the State appointees the opportunity to raise the public policy implications of each decision and to ensure that the full commercial implications for the company are taken into account. The State appointees to the board do not have a veto on board decisions. It is not possible for the State to avail of its shareholding to seek to impose non-commercial obligations on the Company.