Timing of Brennan’s plan queried

The airports are threatened with disruption this afternoon at the height of what has already been a difficult tourist season.

The removal of government protection inevitably brings a great deal of uncertainty in its wake, and a significant element surrounding the current uneasiness over the break-up of Aer Rianta is the uncertainly about the future of Cork and Shannon Airports.

SIPTU president Des Geraghty explained that today's meetings are a necessary consultation with union members.

He has called for a public examination of the issues under an independent chairmanship. In effect, he is looking for an open debate.

His reasoned approach is in marked contract with the stridency of some of his union colleagues who have been threatening a "summer of discontent" in which all forms of transport will be brought to a halt.

Transport Minister Séamus Brennan was accused of "institutionalised vandalism" by SIPTU vice-president Jack O'Connor.

Mr Brennan flagged his intentions months ago. In the process he became the victim of some very dirty politics, but questions must still be asked about the timing of his proposal.

There is an obvious need for a debate on the future of Aer Rianta and the three main airports, but the minister waited until the Dáil went into recess before coming forward with his proposals.

Maybe Leinster House has been responsible for more heat than light in recent years, but this has been partly due to the way in which it has been sidelined by government.

The latest proposals are a further example of that arrogance which has been exhibited in the contempt that the Government has shown for the views of elected representatives.

"Are we handing over government to Ryanair," the SIPTU president asked yesterday.

Posing that question betrayed his fear that the break-up of Aer Rianta will weaken airports like Cork and Dublin to such an extent that Ryanair, with its non-union ethos, will obtain an undue influence over the country's transport policies.

There must be no grounds for suspecting that shorn of their collective clout within Aer Rianta Shannon and Cork Airports will be allowed to become easy targets for the aggressive commercial tactics of Ryanair.

The various budget airlines have grown dramatically in recent years, with Ryanair leading the way, but it is simplistic to expect that those airlines will be just lining up to make deals with the independent authorities running Cork and Shannon.

This is about more than the commercial success of various airlines.

People on all sides of this issue need to keep broader considerations in view.

Many of those connected with Cork and Shannon Airports have long complained of being handicapped by the centralisation of authority, which has allowed the needs of Dublin Airport to set the agenda for other airports.

Now they have an opportunity to set their own agenda, but they do need to retain as much commercial clout as possible.