Aer Rianta board meets to discuss break-up

The Aer Rianta Board is meeting in Dublin Airport today to discuss the legislation to break-up the State-owned airports operator…

The Aer Rianta Board is meeting in Dublin Airport today to discuss the legislation to break-up the State-owned airports operator.

Mr Brennan who yesterday published the State Airports Bill
Mr Brennan who yesterday published the State Airports Bill

Last night a spokesman for the company said the board had recently agreed a 10-year business plan and said he would not make any comment until after the meeting.

It has been reported that the board claims its was not consulted on the legislation before its publication.

Yesterday the Minister for Transport,  Mr Brennan, published the State Airports Bill to break up the three Aer Rianta airports at Dublin, Cork and Shannon.

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A new state agency the Dublin Airport Authority will replace the Aer Rianta board.

There will be no transfer of assets from this authority to Cork and Shannon until they produce business plans which meet the approval of the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, and the Minister for Transport.

Under the Bill says this cannot happen before April 30th next year but it is understood the transfer process could take up to 18 months.

It is likely that the process will lead to a confrontation with the existing Aer Rianta board and its chairman, Mr Noel Hanlon.

The plan has run into further objections from the unions with the SIPTU president, Mr Jack O'Connor, claiming the Government was pressing ahead with was "ideologically driven and ill-conceived" legislation.