Grasp the nettle: Aer Lingus — to sell or not

VERY many Irish people, especially those who work for the company, have an emotional attachment to Aer Lingus that may cloud business decisions inappropriately.

The ongoing debate about whether the Government should or should not sell our remaining 25% stake in the former national carrier has been shaped by many things — and not so many of them have much to do with realising the potential described by suitor IAG and that company’s chief executive, Willie Walsh.

In that light, it is reassuring that Finance Minister Michael Noonan insisted yesterday that the Government has not closed its mind on selling the 25% stake in the back-in-profit airline. It would be more reassuring though if we had the courage to accept the challenge outlined in the IAG proposals, and have the self-belief that would make those plans very real. Our history is replete with missed opportunities and it would be tragic if a viable and fair offer from IAG was added to that list. Ironically, that would lead to an election backlash that would far outweigh any reaction from those who, for whatever reasons, oppose the sale.