Airport talks in danger over break-up report

TALKS about the break-up of Aer Rianta are in danger of being scuttled over the Government’s refusal to hand over a controversial report to unions.

The report, compiled by PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC) and already widely leaked, concludes that Shannon Airport would not be viable as an independent company while Cork would suffer substantial losses.

However, despite promising to do so, the Government is now refusing to make the report available to unions, saying it contains commercially sensitive material.

Following the cancellation of strike action planned for last Monday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil that all reports relating to the Government's plans for Aer Rianta would be given to unions.

Subsequently, when details of the report were released by the Labour Party, ICTU president David Begg wrote to the Taoiseach with a formal request that unions be provided with a copy.

However, as talks between Department of Transport officials and unions began on Friday the report was not forthcoming.

And for the first time yesterday Transport Minister Seamus Brennan indicated he could not release the report. Everything, bar the report in question would be handed over, he said.

"I have and I will make every bit of paper available to the unions except documentation which the board of Aer Rianta tell me is commercially sensitive.

"And on the board of Aer Rianta you have four worker directors. I don't decide anything is confidential. If the board tell me it is commercially sensitive, which all State companies have the option of doing, if they tell me to hold that back then I will hold that back, at their request.

"But, otherwise, every scrap of paper is open," he said.

Mr Brennan insisted he was acting in the best interests of all three airports.

"I would say this to the critics we could trade consultants' reports over and back and over and back and analysis over and back.

"This is a strategic policy decision based for the need for Shannon and Cork to go out there and make a real go of their new airports and their new authorities.

"It is not based on some bookkeeping exercise. It is broader vision of where the airports must be in the 21st century. I am not interested at this stage at picking over profit and loss accounts because it is a much bigger issue," Mr Brenan said.

SIPTU, who were already suspicious about the talks process, last night called on the Taoiseach to provide the report as requested.