Seanad report:The Minister for Transport should explain why the Government was continuing to employ the advisers who had got them into a mess over the Aer Lingus flotation, Shane Ross (Ind) said.
They were expecting these same people to advise them as to how to get out of the mess. "Why don't they sack them and at least employ someone else who gives them proper advice?"
The Minister should be asked to come to the House and not just apologise for the flotation "complete cock-up" but to be accountable for some of the things which had happened and which nobody could understand. The Minister should provide an explanation as to why the Government had sold the company at a price of €2.20 when less than a week later the share price was €3.05. This required an explanation, because taxpayers' money was involved, said Mr Ross.
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A Government member called on the chairman and the other board members of the Competition Authority to offer their resignations to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment because of what he termed their dismal failure to carry out their statutory duties.
Terry Leyden (FF) said the "takeover" by Topaz of Statoil had posed a challenge for the authority. But by the margin of one day they had failed to deal with a file and could no longer arbitrate on the merits or otherwise of the takeover or merger.