Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 137: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the impact on the numbers employed at Aer Lingus of the development of a new airline within the group; her further views on the fact that this will be a device to make workers here redundant or force them to re-apply for their jobs to the new entity at poorer pay and conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42282/09]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Aer Lingus is a private limited company and, as such, any commercial proposal by the company to restructure or reorganise its operations such as suggested by the Deputy for the development of a new airline within the group is not one to which the Tánaiste or I are privy, or have any role. Primary responsibility for the aviation sector resides with my colleague the Minister for Transport.

I am of course aware of proposals announced by Aer Lingus in the media a few weeks ago involving a plan to undertake further rationalisation at the company and a collective redundancy programme involving up to 676 redundancies over a two year period. I understand that consultations with the relevant employee representative groups have already commenced in relation to this development.

The restructuring process within Aer Lingus is the subject of continuing dialogue with the trade unions representing the company's employees. I am satisfied that there is, an adequate legal framework in this country governing restructuring arrangements at company level in the form of legislation covering collective redundancies and legislation covering information and consultation requirements. I should point out, in this regard, that any allegations that workers are being made redundant and forced to reapply for their jobs under lesser terms and conditions of employment may be pursued under legislation introduced in 2007 entitled the "Protection of Employment (Exceptional Collective Redundancies and Related Matters) Act 2007".