O’Leary: under-performing civil servants ‘should be booted out’

Michael O’Leary has accused the Government of squandering a great crisis by failing to reform the public sector after the economic collapse.

The Ryanair chief executive said if he was elected to public office, the first thing he would do would be to make it easier for civil servants to be fired. Then he would start firing those who were under-performing.

“The fundamental thing is bad performers in the public sector need to be booted out. The fact that they can’t be booted out means the quality people in the public sector gets dragged down to the lowest level of efficiency of output.”

He said there are “some very good people” working in the public sector, but there are “some total tossers in there”.

Mr O’Leary said he planned to remain as chief executive of the airline for at least another five years because he enjoys working.

After the departure of deputy CEOs Howard Millar and Michael Cawley, Ryanair's investor base was "a little bit nervous" about the new management team.

“So I said I’d come in for five years anyway…And then we will allow the new team to bed down and develop an identity of their own.”

Another reason he keeps working is because it is “fun and challenging”.

"I hate going on holidays, although I'm told I have to. I go to Portugal for two weeks a year with the children and a week skiing. I find those a trial, mainly because they take me away from work.

“You can’t have a family unless you make some of these sacrifices, but I hate being on holidays. It drives me mad,” he said.

Mr O'Leary criticised Aer Lingus for its passenger levels and profits and blamed the unions for what he described as the carrier's poor performance.

“The real problem for Aer Lingus…is that the world has passed them by, and I think what makes the future for Aer Lingus very difficult is it’s really not able to compete with Ryanair, which is a behemoth now,” he told RTÉ One radio’s business show this morning.