The Government has come under renewed pressure over its refusal to bail out Aer Lingus, which has threatened to shed up to 1,700 jobs over the terrorist attacks in the US.
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Mrs Mary O'Rourke
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Representatives from the Aer Lingus Group of Unions, including SIPTU and IMPACT, met the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke for urgent talks today.
They urged Mrs O’Rourke to reconsider a dismissal of calls for State aid for Aer Lingus and the circumvent a European ban on intervention.
The meeting went ahead in the face of reports of a massive fall in advance flight bookings across the board, including a reported 74 per cent drop on the route from Ireland to Chicago, 70 per cent to New York, and even 33 per cent to London, figures described by an airline source as "quite frightening."
Aer Lingus are now predicting losses of up to £70 million this year.
Afterwards, Mr Michael Landers, IMPACT’s assistant general secretary, said the Minister had been "very positive" and sympathetic to the plight of the workers.
He said Mrs O'Rourke had pledged to discuss the issues raised at both cabinet and European levels.
Mrs O'Rourke agreed the discussions had been positive "in as much as a meeting like that can be positive. We were very open with one another; it is going to be difficult and very challenging."
The Government agreed last week to underwrite insurance premiums for the airline.
Earlier the Minister for Sport and Tourism, Dr McDaid, warned of the potential damage to Ireland's vital holiday trade.
"The present position does not make very good reading, and it is not going to be easy," he said. "I am trying to minimise the direct impact of the terrorism."
Dr McDaid said there would need to be a fresh focus on the British and European markets.