Republican News · Thursday 11 October 2001

"State should aid Aer Lingus" - ” Caol·in

The crisis at Aer Lingus calls for immediate aid from the State to save jobs and the national airline in the current aviation crisis. So said CaoimhghÌn ” Caol·in in a special D·il debate on Aer Lingus last week.

Urging the government to intervene directly as the US government had done in the case of its airlines, the Cavan/Monaghan Sinn FÈin TD said:

"On 25 September I addressed a SIPTU seminar on the future of Aer Lingus. Some 200 union members, representing thousands of others who work for the airline, were present. All were deeply concerned about the future of Aer Lingus and the prospect of massive job losses. Estimates for employment cuts in the company have since greatly increased.

"A senior official of the Department of Public Enterprise informed the seminar that he was personally in favour of the privatisation of Aer Lingus. He is entitled to his opinion, but it is very revealing about the dominant thinking within the Department charged with responsibility for State owned companies. There is no passion there for making public ownership work. On the contrary, preparation for privatisation, as handed down by the government, is the order of the day.

"In this international aviation crisis, the government should make State aid available to the national airline without delay. The Government has allowed its hands to be tied by the EU and has meekly accepted the dictation that no State aid can be given. That was reiterated by the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, after the recent EU Finance Ministers' meeting.

"Privatisation, either in the medium or long term, would mean the break-up of the company, the loss of thousands of jobs and the destruction of a strategic pillar of the Irish economy. It must not be allowed to happen. We have seen how well the company fared in recent years and the benefits this had for the Irish economy. Tougher times are here, but they will not last forever. We need to look beyond the current crisis and go forward with a strategic review of the future.

"The government's amendment is a stay of execution for Aer Lingus. We need a strong commitment to Aer Lingus remaining and being developed in public ownership. The greatest asset of Aer Lingus is its skilled workforce. The members of that workforce must be central to decision making for the future. Their rights and interests must be safeguarded. Aer Lingus is our company and the Minister [for Public Enterprise Mary O'Rourke] is charged with responsibility for it. It must remain our company."