Eight Labour TDs to submit motion on IAG’s Aer Lingus bid

Eight Labour Party TDs will submit a motion raising concerns about the IAG bid for Aer Lingus at the party's national conference in Killarney this weekend.

The deputies, seven from the greater Dublin area and one from the midwest, are expected to meet on Friday before submitting the motion to the party’s standing orders committee that night.

The draft wording sets out a list of guarantees that IAG, headed by Willie Walsh, must fulfil before any offer can be considered by the Government.

The motion comes amid a change of attitude within Government to the offer from IAG, with several senior Labour figures saying they are in favour of the Government’s 25 per cent shareholding being sold to IAG.

It is an emergency motion and can be debated at any time during the conference.

Sources said the most likely time slot would be on Sunday during the transport segment of the conference.

Contents

One of the eight,

Joe Costello

, said the draft was being finalised, and refused to be drawn on its contents.

It is understood to include a reference to staffing levels, to an independent valuation, to protection of employment and conditions, and for longer guarantees on the Heathrow slots. There are also references to safeguarding services in Shannon and Cork.

The other TDs involved are Brendan Ryan, Michael McNamara, Dominic Hannigan, Sean Kenny, Robert Dowd, John Lyons and Eamon Maloney.