'Human error' behind delay in telling Dempsey of airline move

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said "human error" was the reason for the delay in informing him that Aer Lingus was considering moving its Shannon-Heathrow operations to Belfast.

"While I do not wish to pre-empt the report, my information is that it was human error in the department. That is now the subject of a report."

Simon Coveney (FG, Cork South Central) remarked: "A civil servant is the scapegoat."

Earlier, Labour transport spokesman Tommy Broughan claimed the Minister had misled the Dáil last month on the issue and called on him and predecessor Martin Cullen to resign.

Replying to a series of special notice questions, Mr Dempsey said a media article on June 13th had reported the possibility of Aer Lingus opening a base at Belfast. Following a query to the company by his department on the same day, Aer Lingus indicated it was considering opening a Belfast base.

An official conveyed the department's concerns from the perspective of aviation and regional policy and asked the chief executive to consider ways in which a new base might be accommodated before arriving at a decision. He agreed to do this. Mr Dempsey said the matter was not brought to his attention. A department official contacted Aer Lingus on July 27th, arising from a query to the company on industrial relations matters.

"In the course of that conversation, it was confirmed that the company's plans for a new base had solidified and that a formal announcement was to be made on August 8th. It was also confirmed that opening the new Belfast base would entail the reallocation of Shannon-to-Heathrow slots to Belfast from early 2008.

"The official expressed concern regarding the impact of a loss of a Shannon-to-Heathrow service from an aviation and regional policy perspective, emphasised the importance of Aer Lingus's commitment to Shannon and indicated that these matters would be raised with the chief executive of the company."

Mr Dempsey said that in an e-mail to his private office on July 27th, the official stated the company intended to announce the new Belfast route on August 8th. A meeting with the chairman and chief executive was arranged for the earliest opportunity, August 3rd, to enable him to discuss matters with the company.

"A number of deputies have asked questions regarding the period between June 13th and July 27th. It is important to a make clear that officials were keenly aware that the company was in an offer period until the end of June, which meant that information obtained from the company had to be treated with absolute confidentiality.

"Even outside an offer period, the rules relating to quoted companies impose tight confidentiality requirements relating to price-sensitive information.

"Aer Lingus did not indicate that it had made a final decision until late July. When contact was made in June, no decision had been taken and the company had agreed to reflect on the concerns raised by the department."

Pressed to set up an independent investigation into the matter, Mr Dempsey said: "I think it is important that the facts are established and established very clearly. I have asked for that to be done, and it will be done. That report will be made public."

Jan O'Sullivan (Labour, Limerick East) said the people of the midwest were horrified that the information on the ending of the Shannon-Heathrow service was available and not acted on.

"The decision could have been pre-empted and an alternative decision could have been agreed with the Government had the Minister and his department done their jobs.

"I agree with my colleague, Deputy Broughan: the buck stops with the Minister and he should consider seriously his position as Minister for Transport."

Mr Dempsey said there was a document in the department on June 13th, which had been released under the freedom of information legislation. It had been headed "for the information of the Minister". Neither he nor his predecessor had received it.

"While everyone within the department accepts I should have been informed of the document's contents, and should have received it, I was not so informed and did not receive it."

Fine Gael spokesman Fergus O'Dowd said it was unbelievable that the Minister could say "that he did not see anything, he did not hear anything, he did not know anything".