Brennan defends private operators

The Minister for Transport has criticised the description of private transport operators as "pariahs" and rejected accusations that he has an "ideological bent" towards privatisation.

Mr Brennan told the Dáil he had no proposals to privatise Aer Rianta, the railway lines, Dublin Bus or Bus Eireann, but instead was opening the markets to give the public a choice of using State or private transport operators.

Criticising opposition attitudes, the Minister staunchly defended private operators. "I reject this notion that private transport operators are shady and not in the same category as the State operators," he said.

"It is a small country. The private operators are ordinary Irish taxpayers running businesses and giving employment.

"They are not pariahs but simply trying to make a living for their families and provide one for their employees. They should not be denigrated, as often happens in this House."

He added: "Those against private-sector involvement claim it is a principle. I have trouble with this argument, because if a member is left-wing, it is a principle. If one is slightly right-wing, it is ideological."

Mr Brennan was winding up the initial debate on the Aer Lingus Bill, which gives effect to an agreed employee share-ownership plan, establishes a new pension scheme in the company and enables privatisation, defined as "any private-sector investment process which the Government may wish to follow, depending on policy".

He pointed out: "The Government has not made a decision on the timing of such a transaction, and I do not have potential investors or buyers lined up or in mind, nor have any been contacted".

Mr Brennan warned, however, that further and ongoing change was inevitable in the airline industry, and the issue was one of providing the best future for the airline and how Aer Lingus could best serve the country.

"I am opposed to approaching the matter as a means of collecting a few bob for the Exchequer," he said.

He would not commit to the Fine Gael request for a White Paper on Aer Lingus to map out its short-, medium- and long-term future, but he agreed that the arguments and options for and against privatisation should be laid out in detail.

Mr Brennan reminded the Dáil that the company might be publicly owned but it operated in a "viciously competitive" private-sector area.

His primary objective was to secure the airline's future and its contribution to Ireland. "Given the airline's recovery and the new business focus, it is time to look at future options and choices, rather than wait for a downturn or crisis to force our hand," he said.

Mr Aengus O Snodaigh (SF, Dublin South Central) rejected any move towards privatisation, saying: "We should not allow the private sector to acquire a controlling interest in a State company".

If the sale was allowed to go ahead, "we will lose something that is vital for this country as an island nation, to have and to control".

Mr Simon Coveney (FG, Cork South Central) reiterated that Fine Gael was not opposed in principle to privatisation, but "in Aer Lingus's case we are dealing with a company with much pride, whose logo has been carried by aircraft as flagships for Irish people and Irishness.

"We must be careful how we map out its future."