Aer Lingus chief defends moves on child flights
Willie Walsh faced a barrage of criticism over the controversial decision announced last week. But he insisted to the Oireachtas Transport Committee that money was not an issue in the decision which had been entirely motivated by security concerns heightened by the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington in 2001.
Fine Gael Senator Fergal Browne of Carlow said he could not accept the Aer Lingus argument and believed it was motivated by cutbacks. "Will this create a dangerous precedent for elderly and disabled people who need assistance boarding planes?" the senator asked.
Mr Walsh said the decision, which in practice means children under 12 years must be accompanied by another person at least 16 years old and ready to accept responsibility, was taken after three years of difficult incidents.
"We have had experiences where we carried children to their destination and there hs been nobody to collect them. We have had cases of children delivered to the airports in taxis and where there have been disputes over who would collect the child," he said.
However, TDs and senators also had praise for Mr Walsh and his colleagues for the manner in which they had turned round the company's fortunes from 50m operating losses in 2001. Gardaí told not to probe US flights, claim activists
Michael O'Farrell
GARDAÍ have denied receiving political instructions on how they should respond to requests to investigate whether Gulf-bound US military planes landing at Shannon are carrying weapons.
Peace activists at Shannon and Green Party chairman, John Gormley have repeatedly lodged formal complaints with Shannon gardaí, none of which has led to a garda inquiry.
"I've spoken to the police in Shannon and they responded by refusing to carry out any searches saying they are under instruction from higher authorities not to do so," Mr Gormley said.
Peace campaigner Tim Hourigan has also made numerous complaints, including two early Monday morning, as military cargo planes came in to land. "They called back saying they had received instructions that due to an 'understanding between our Government and the US' they take it on faith that these aircraft are not carrying arms," Mr Hourigan said.
However, Garda spokesperson, John Farrelly said any complaints received by gardaí were treated equally and would be investigated if there was anything to indicate a crime had been committed.
"If something is substantiated to suggest an offence has been committed then we have the power under the Aviation Act to deal with as issue like that," he said.
Mr Farrelly declined to respond directly to questioning over whether Garda chiefs had issued any specific directive to members in Shannon, saying simply that as far as he knew no non-Garda body had ever issued instructions to gardaí. Angered over the Government's lack of clarity on the issue Mr Gormley yesterday wrote to Justice Minister, Michael McDowell asking why members of the gardaí were refusing to investigate.
He wrote: "Would you agree that this constitutes a serious of dereliction of duty and will you ensure, as minister, that the gardaí enforce the law of the land?"
However, a Department of Justice spokeswoman said the matter was an internal Garda one with which the department could not interfere. "If a superintendent in Shannon has been issued with a directive that is an internal matter for the guards themselves," the spokeswoman said.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs reiterated the comments made by Minister Brian Cowen on Monday and said no instructions had been issued to the Garda authorities.
"We have received assurances from the US that aircraft passing through Shannon are not carrying arms and we are taking them at their word as a friendly country," he said.
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