Aer Lingus May Never Be Sold Off!!
From Today's Irish Independent
Ahern puts brake on sale of key state firms
THE Government last night signalled it intends to shelve plans to privatise major State assets before the next election.
Up to now it had been expected that key State assets such as Aer Lingus were being geared for sale.
The manner in which Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday ruled out a management buyout (MBO) at the airline was viewed as evidence the Government will not risk confronting the unions on such matters.
The dramatic development came days after Seamus Brennan was removed as Minister for Transport. That was seen as the first clear sign the Government was backing off on privatisation. Mr Brennan was widely seen as being well disposed to some moves towards even part-privatisation of the airline. The moves were seen as evidence any sale is being long-fingered at least until after a general election. Decisions on other issues such as bus privatisation are also likely to be parked.
Transport Minister Martin Cullen will in days receive a consultants' report on future options for Aer Lingus. A Cabinet sub-committee will be chaired by Mr Ahern when he returns from a trip to the Far East.
Aer Lingus chief executive Willie Walsh told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport he met with the Secretary General at the Department of Transport Julie O'Neill on Monday and said management had no interest in an MBO.
Mr Walsh said they had spoken of seeking outside investment but never spoke of a "management buyout". Outside investment proposals had been withdrawn.
Under pressure in the Dail, Mr Ahern said he did not believe a buyout was compatible with the mandate of Aer Lingus. He did not, however, disclose that the Government had been told on Monday the buyout was no longer an issue. The controversy returned to the agenda yesterday after Socialist TD Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach in the Dail why the Government had not dismissed the airline's chief executive, chief financial officer and chief operations officer for their "stunning conflict of interest".
He claimed they had been seeking privatisation of the airline "so that they could buy it themselves and, in the process, make an obscene financial killing".
Fine Gael Transport spokesman Denis Naughten said the lack of any decision on future ownership of Aer Lingus was threatening its future viability. Siptu national industry secretary Michael Halpenny said the Taoiseach's view an MBO was inappropriate was correct. Michael Landers of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (IALPA) said they would support staff ownership of the airline.
........................................................
I wonder if Willie is reconsidering his future ??