Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey yesterday sent out a strong signal to Fianna Fáil TDs in the midwest that they must vote against a Labour Party motion asking that the Government join with other Aer Lingus shareholders to force a reversal of the airline's decision to drop its Shannon-Heathrow service.
The Labour motion, which is to be tabled in the Dáil when it resumes at the end of September, calls on the Government to use its shareholding to join with the Employee Share Ownership Trust (Esot) and other like-minded shareholders to force Aer Lingus into reversing its decision to end the Shannon-Heathrow service. A Labour spokesman said yesterday that the wording could change given that an egm may not take place.
Two of the Fianna Fáil TDs who have been most vocal about the Aer Lingus move, Timmy Dooley of Clare and Peter Power of Limerick East, yesterday failed to say unequivocally that they would vote with the Government on the motion.
Mr Power told The Irish Times that the private members' motion was a month away and it would be "premature to be commenting". He said he was very happy that the Government was working with the airport authority to ensure that connectivity was maintained.
Mr Dooley said that he had not seen the Labour Party motion, but his primary concern was that connectivity was maintained between Shannon and Heathrow. He criticised the antics of the Opposition and described the the private members' motion as a "charade".
He said he was now satisfied that the Government had recognised the seriousness of the problem, but added: "Whatever I have to do to ensure connectivity is maintained I will do."
Dublin Central Independent TD Finian McGrath told The Irish Times that he had met a representative of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last week and had made known his anger at the Aer Lingus decision. "The Taoiseach now knows my view and I am hoping to speak with him directly on the matter before the Dáil resumes. As of today, I don't know which way I will be voting on the private members' motion."
Kerry South Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae said he was not going to discuss how he would vote on the private members' motion. The other independents supporting the Government, Beverly Flynn and Michael Lowry, could not be contacted.
In an interview on RTÉ Radio One yesterday Mr Dempsey dismissed suggestions that Government backbenchers would vote against the Government in the motion. He said he "would not expect any deputies or senators in that region (midwest) to be voting against the Government or abstaining in relation to this matter".
The Minister added: "The Government has made its disappointment with Aer Lingus known publicly. We don't regard it being in line with Government policy in regional terms or in aviation terms. My colleagues in the mid-west have done everything they could to have this decision reversed. Their anger is directed at Aer Lingus, not at the Government."
Mr Dempsey repeated that the Government focus was on finding a replacement for the service and he said he would not be distracted by Ryanair's "sideshow". The Government was not going to second-guess the decision made by the board of Aer Lingus.
"The Government, from the outset, have made it clear that we believe this is a commercial decision that has been made by Aer Lingus. We don't like it. We've made that very clear to them. We've indicated very strongly that it is not in accordance with our Government policy, but it is a commercial decision."
The Minister said that the Government had no intention of joining forces with Ryanair to force Aer Lingus to hold an egm. The Government would not "collude with a rival of Aer Lingus".
Mr Dempsey added that the Government wanted to see a very competitive aviation sector in Ireland and to see two strong airlines operating out of Ireland.