Airline criticised for cutting cúpla focal

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night criticised Aer Lingus for dropping Irish language messages on its new flights out of Belfast.

The issue was raised in the Dáil parliament by opposition leader and fluent Irish speaker Enda Kenny who asked if the Government, which owns 23% of the airline, was consulted on the issue.

Mr Ahern said: “Why Aer Lingus would believe it is necessary to drop Irish, I do not know. We were not informed and I do not believe it is any great hardship to anybody. In any of the meetings I have had, I heard nobody objecting to the effect that Irish should be dropped.”