Tánaiste defends role in talks over airport jobs

TÁNAISTE Mary Coughlan and the Dublin Airport Authority have vigorously defended their involvement in Ryanair’s failed bid to create 500 engineering and support jobs at the former SR Technics site at Dublin Airport.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary had accused the Tánaiste of “failing to stand up to the DAA monopoly” and instead, allowing Aer Lingus to lease the site for line maintenance, without providing any extra jobs.

Mr O’Leary had told the department that he did not want to negotiate directly with DAA – a proviso that the Tánaiste had deemed not acceptable.