'Right decisions' will be made for Aer Lingus, Taoiseach insists

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has insisted in a Dáil row that the Government will make the "right decisions" for Aer Lingus.

Mr Ahern said the Government Cabinet sub-committee, looking at options for the company's future direction, "accepts that to do nothing is not an option".

He still did not understand the motives for the resignation of the three most senior executives, and insisted that a management buy-out "was the worst of all options for Aer Lingus".

Mr Ahern also defended the Government's approach to the national airline, and said it had worked with management to turn the company around.

"Against what has happened internationally in aviation, Aer Lingus stands out like no other," he said.

"That is the second time that we have had to do that in a decade."

The Taoiseach was responding to the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, who accused him of dithering, which in turn "provoked the resignation of the chief executive and his two chief officers".

Mr Rabbitte added that "until the Government fixes on a firm policy in terms of the future direction and ownership of the company, it will not be possible to find a quality chief executive or put an appropriate chairman in place", as the acting chairman was due to resign in January.

However, Mr Ahern said that "the chairman is doing a good job".

"I still do not understand the motives for those who have recently resigned. They knew exactly the position of the Government. It was not a question of anyone not making decisions."

During sharp exchanges on the issue, Mr Rabbitte said that "it must be the final galling experience of Mr Willie Walsh, whatever one thinks about the direction he was leading the company, to hear the Taoiseach seeking to claim credit for what he did in turning the company around with the workers, having berated him last week".

Mr Rabbitte claimed that "the national airline has no chief pilot and no chief navigator. The Taoiseach is still dithering."

However, Mr Ahern said it was the collective efforts of the Government that helped the then chairman, Mr Tom Mulcahy, and others. The then minister for transport, Mr Brennan, successfully helped them to turn it around.

The Taoiseach claimed that Mr Rabbitte "could not care less about the management, the staff or the future of Aer Lingus, which is doing quite well".

The Labour leader "is now defending the person who put forward the management buy-out, which was the worst of all options for Aer Lingus".

Mr Ahern hit out at the Labour Party. It "loves to raise party political issues by calling meetings in the hangars and as soon as it is over, it does sweet nothing".