O’Dea: Airline’s timing was ‘sneaky’

DEFENCE Minister Willie O’Dea last night accused “sneaky” Aer Lingus bosses of deliberately dropping their Shannon bombshell while the Cabinet was on holiday.

The charge came as Mr O’Dea appeared to be on a collision course with ministerial colleagues over using Government shareholder muscle to force the airline into a humiliating U-turn.

He said the State should wield its 25% “golden stake” in the company at the looming emergency meeting of investors to help retain the lifeline mid-west/Heathrow routes.

This was in marked contrast to Government sources who indicated it would be highly unlikely for ministers to line up with Ryanair and union shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

Responding to an Irish Examiner opinion poll that showed 73% of voters were dissatisfied with the Government’s handling of the unfolding crisis, Mr O’Dea said the impression of Cabinet inaction was due to calculated tactics by the airline.

“Aer Lingus announced this in a sneaky way when the management of Aer Lingus knew the Cabinet was not meeting.

“The reason why there is this perception of the Government not being on top of the situation is because it was announced, deliberately, at an unfortunate time for the Government.

“We are just getting a few days’ holiday. We had a Cabinet meeting at the end of July and will have another one in two weeks’ time. Aer Lingus knew this was the one time in the year when the Cabinet would not be meeting so why did it not announce this before the last meeting or in two weeks’ time?”

The minister said he would push for a tough line at the EGM.

“If it came to it, I think the Government should vote to retain the Shannon-Heathrow routes. But that is not the most desirable way to run a private company,” he said. Despite the controversy raging over the Shannon move and the looming strike by 480 Aer Lingus pilots next Tuesday and Wednesday, Transport Minister Noel Dempsey remained on holiday in Portugal, unavailable for comment.

His department has been highly non-committal over the expected EGM saying the Government would “reflect” on any motions put before such a gathering.

A Government spokesman said Bertie Ahern was in “continual contact” with the Transport Minister on the matter. However, the Taoiseach is not expected to make any public comments for at least a week.

The Labour Party said the findings of the Irish Examiner poll, which revealed 87% want the routes retained by Shannon, showed the Government had lost touch with voters.

“The poll points to a level of unanimity on the Shannon issue, rarely, if ever, seen before on such a matter of public controversy,” said the party’s Limerick TD Jan O’Sullivan.