Fianna Fáil still using Aer Lingus as a political football – O’Donovan

Having privatised Aer Lingus in 2006, Fianna Fáil today showed that they are using Aer Lingus as a political football by opposing a great deal for Ireland, according to Fine Gael TD for Limerick Patrick O’Donovan. 

“It beggars belief that the party that privatised Aer Lingus and bankrupted the State is now trying to play politics with such a great company. Over the course of the last few days Fianna Fáil members have, on the one hand, praised Aer Lingus management for turning the company around and making it a success while on the other claiming that they are determined to sell out its interests and that of its workers and customers. They cannot have it both ways. 

“Fianna Fail, having secured practically no guarantees when they sold Aer Lingus, is now – for nakedly political purposes- opposing a deal which includes real guarantees and brings huge benefits to Ireland in terms of jobs and connectivity. 

“To make matters worse, Deputy Martin said in the chamber today that the Nyras report was ‘commissioned early in February between Aer Lingus and IAG’. This is not the case. The work of Nyras was commissioned solely by Aer Lingus and had nothing to do with IAG, nor has it anything to do with the deal currently being debated by Dail Eireann.

“The report referred to is a confidential analysis of the airline’s cost structures in a range of areas. Aer Lingus has said this evening that none of the savings have anything to do with jobs. This is an entirely normal exercise and it would be surprising if a company like Aer Lingus was not keeping its cost base under review.

“This episode shows that Fianna Fáil is unfit to govern. The party has no vision, plan or ambition for this country.”