Galway will benefit from Aer Lingus privatisation

By Tim Ryan

The commitments that the Government has secured for Shannon and Knock airports in the sale of its Aer Lingus stake to IAG will have a very positive impact on Galway city, Connemara and the surrounding areas.

That’s according to local Fine Gael Deputy Brian Walsh who told the Dáil that the marketing expertise the IAG group across the globe – and Ireland would benefit greatly from that.

“Ireland will be promoted in new markets in which we have not had a presence heretofore,” he said. “It is a cause for great optimism for the future of the tourism industry.”

Speaking during the debate which approved the sale, Deputy Walsh said all along, there had been broad consensus for some time that, in principle at least, the sale of the company had the potential to be good for Ireland and for Aer Lingus.

However, the initial offer was unacceptable and there were legitimate and very considerable concerns relating to, for example, connectivity and job losses.

“This weighed very heavily on the debate,” he said.

“The offer has been strengthened considerably and I am pleased that all the concerns raised have been addressed in the most recent proposal. The Minister has used the time since the original bid well to secure a better deal for all concerned.

“The commitments secured on the Heathrow slots were vital, and the potential for route expansion to North America in particular is vast and could have substantial implications for economic growth and development.

“The deal protects 2.5 million additional passengers, more than 600 new jobs and four new North American routes. We are looking at new dawn for the company in a very competitive environment. It will be strengthened by the takeover and the sky is the limit for Aer Lingus.”

Deputy Walsh said this was happening at the right time for Aer Lingus, which, in its current state, faced a very uncertain future as a stand-alone operation.

It was happening at the right time for the State as the injection of capital and further job creation that will arise from the deal will fuel the momentum we have as the fastest-growing economy in Europe.