Union Response from the Irish Independant:
The main trade union at Aer Lingus has slammed Ryanair's announcement this morning that it is launching a formal takeover bid for the airline.
SIPTU president Jack O'Connor said today that the proposed buy-out would be bad for the country and vindicated the union's stance in opposing privatisation.
He also said the Government should have seen the move coming when it decided to sell Aer Lingus to private investors.
The Labour Party, meanwhile, has called on the Fianna Fail-Progressive Democrats coalition to state what steps it intends to take to protect Aer Lingus from the takeover.
Party spokesperson Roisin Shorthall has described the Ryanair move as "a potentially disastrous development for the Irish travelling public".
She says it is exactly the sort of the situation the Labour Party warned could arise from the "ill-judged and unnecessary" decision to privatise the national airline.
While the Irish Goverment had this to say:
The Government has responded to Ryanair's Aer Lingus takeover bid by saying it will not be selling its shares in the airline.
Ryanair confirmed this morning that it has already acquired 16% of Aer Lingus shares and is offering €2.80 for the remainder.
In a brief statement to the media, Finance Minister Brian Cowen and Transport Minister Martin Cullen said the Government remained committed to competition in aviation markets and would not be selling the 28.3% stake that it has retained in Aer Lingus.
S.C.