Labour demands Dempsey resign

THE Labour Party has called for the resignation of the embattled Transport Minister over the communications breakdown that prevented the Government from making an early intervention in the Shannon controversy.

During a specially-arranged debate on Shannon yesterday evening, Fine Gael accused the Government of engaging in a “cover up” over its handling of the issue.

Labour’s transport spokesman Tommy Broughan went further and called for either sitting minister Noel Dempsey or former Transport Minister Martin Cullen to resign.

Limerick East’s Jan O’Sullivan rowed in behind him insisting the minister should “consider his position”.

Mr Dempsey endured 45 minutes of normal question time, followed by a half-hour debate which had been argued for to reflect the gravity of the situation.

Calling for Mr Dempsey’s resignation, Mr Broughan said, “On the day you entered the department, you were given this document, a basic briefing, by your civil servants of all the activities of your department on June 14,” he said.

“It refers to a wide range of problems that were arising but it doesn’t seem to mention the elephant in the room. Minister, weren’t you duty bound to say, what’s happening with the ongoing privatisation of Aer Lingus in relation to Shannon? Didn’t you fail in that duty? Didn’t you mislead this house? Shouldn’t you now resign?” he said.

FG’s transport spokesman Fergus O’Dowd queried how Mr Dempsey could not have been informed. He said his statements were “absolutely and totally unbelievable”.

“Either both ministers are incompetent and are not keeping themselves informed of vital issues or both ministers and the rest of the Government are engaged in a cover-up of their failure to handle this issue properly.”

Mr Dempsey said it was basic “human error” which had led to the breakdown in communications.

He said verbal and written briefings by department officials had failed to mention conversations with Aer Lingus management about the proposed pull-out.