The former chairman of Aer Rianta, Mr Noel Hanlon, has accused the former Minister of Transport, Mr Brennan, of trying to oust him and of seriously damaging the company's long-term value.
Mr Hanlon yesterday spent his final day chairing the company before it was abolished and replaced by the new Dublin Airport Authority. Mr Hanlon said the new arrangements seriously concerned him and Shannon Airport might find it difficult to survive.
He was speaking to The Irish Times from his office in Dublin Airport.
However, last night a spokesman for Mr Brennan said: "This is about implementing Government policy and not personalities. The Minister is convinced that this is the correct policy and should usher in a new era for aviation.
"It will give Shannon and Cork the freedom to compete and that has to be the way forward."
The spokesman emphasised that throughout recent controversies Mr Brennan had been anxious not to personalise the situation.
Mr Hanlon said the former Minister was too keen to please Ryanair and its outspoken chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary.
"The Minister in my opinion was acting on purely political and publicity grounds, trying to satisfy clear vested interests," he said.
Of his relationship with the Minister, Mr Hanlon said: "It was very personal against me: he made no bones to journalists that he wanted to get rid of me."
He said the Taoiseach's decision this week to move Mr Brennan into another department vindicated him. "I feel totally vindicated and justified in the stand that I took.
"Obviously the Government was of the same view and the Taoiseach was of the same view when he removed him from Transport," said Mr Hanlon.
Mr Brennan was moved this week to the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. It emerged that he only accepted the post after a very tense meeting with the Taoiseach.
Mr Hanlon said Mr Brennan had behaved "despicably" by stating last week that arrangements with outgoing Aer Rianta chief executive, Ms Margaret Sweeney, were not approved by him. He said the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy had consented to them.
But Mr Hanlon also cast doubt on the tactics and strategy of the two largest Irish airlines, Aer Lingus and Ryanair.
He accused Ryanair chief executive, Mr O'Leary, of using bullying tactics on ministers and Aer Rianta. He said Aer Lingus, while right to restructure itself, was behaving disgracefully by withdrawing certain services.
The remarks from Mr Hanlon bring to into the public domain the deep hostility between himself and Mr Brennan. Mr Hanlon claimed yesterday that Mr Brennan's decisions had reduced Aer Rianta's value from €3 billion to less than half that.
He said the name change from Aer Rianta to the Dublin Airport Authority would cost €20 million alone.
Today a new authority under chairman Mr Gary McGann, takes over all Aer Rianta's assets and liabilities. However, Mr Hanlon said the new Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, should consider either reversing these changes or at least slowing them down in conjunction with the new Minister for Finance, Mr Cowen.
The new authority is hoping to usher in a new era of competition between the three airports, but Mr Hanlon said Shannon could be under serious pressure, particularly if the Shannon stopover is ended.
