Government criticised for refusing to intervene

The Government has insisted there are no plans to try to persuade Aer Lingus to reverse its decision to end the Shannon-Heathrow service.

A Government spokesman restated comments made by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey on Friday that it was a commercial decision and the Government would not try to force the company into a U-turn.

Opposition parties, meanwhile, accused the Government of trying to wash its hands of the decision.

Fine Gael's transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said Mr Dempsey's contention that the Government could not intervene because it was a shareholder in the airline did not absolve him from political responsibility.

"The implication that somehow the Minister could do more if he wasn't a shareholder is ludicrous.

"Furthermore, it suggests the Government would be better off disposing of its shares in Aer Lingus or that there was no justification for retaining its shares in the first place," she said.

Labour's TD for Limerick East, Jan O'Sullivan, also rejected Mr Dempsey's explanation.

"If the political will was there, a way would be found. The Government, as a major shareholder in the company, is quite entitled to seek an extraordinary general meeting to consider the Shannon decision. Other shareholders have already indicated their support for the convening of such a meeting," she said. "Volleys of verbal abuse from Willie O'Dea and Fianna Fáil backbenchers are no substitute for firm and decisive action at Government level."

Fine Gael's Clare TD, Pat Breen, called on the Green Party and Independent TDs that support the Government to put pressure on Fianna Fáil to help reverse the decision.

"It is now clear that Fianna Fáil has no interest in preventing the decimation of Shannon Airport. As a result I am calling on that party's partners in Government to put pressure on them to counteract this drastic development. Of the Independents, Jackie Healy-Rae and Michael Lowry are in Munster, where the news is of massive concern," he said.