PDs grounded as aviation deal gets green light

AFTER months of clashing over competing ideologies Fianna Fáil last night emerged victorious having forged its stamp on government aviation policy for the remainder of the current Government.

Although a spokesman for Tánaiste Mary Harney claimed the Progressive Democrats had won important concessions which would improve competition at Dublin Airport, the party has no guarantee any of its demands will be implemented should they be ousted from Government.

Significantly, Ms Harney remained mute on the deal last night, despite having indicated last year that public transport reform was an issue she would pull out of Government for.

Crucially, the Dublin Airport Authority will build and be allowed to tender to run a new second terminal while also remaining in a position to bid to build and run terminal three.

It had widely been expected that a guarantee of an independent terminal three would be conceded to the PDs in recent days.

As part of last night’s deal, legislation will be drafted to allow other firms build at Dublin Airport, but Transport Minister Martin Cullen confirmed that the DAA will be allowed to compete for the operation of the terminal.

In a move aimed at pacifying unions, Fianna Fáil has also ensured that even those independent firms tendering to run terminal two will have to comply with a Government agreement that staff be given terms and conditions at least as favourable as those which currently exist in the DAA.

Although the PDs point to a new three-pronged safety mechanism aimed at ensuring value for money in the construction of terminal two, the concession was widely seen by the opposition as window dressing.

Other facets of the aviation deal will see Pier D built by 2007 while the Government will proceed with the controversial sale of a majority stake in Aer Lingus while retaining a stake of over 25%.

While business interests such as Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary condemned the deal, SIPTU welcomed the move saying there was no evidence that competition between terminals brought down charges for customers.