Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will ensure that when appointing the two outstanding vacancies to the board of Aer Lingus, that at minimum one of the appointees would be a representative of the mid west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31756/07]

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 I hope to be in a position to nominate two further candidates for appointment to the board in the near future.

The State's appointees will seek to ensure that all future decisions of the Company, that have significant implications for wider government, aviation or regional development policies, including issues impacting on the mid-west regions, 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.