And so farewell then Aer Lingus, you served us well

Today our fantastic Minister for Transport confirmed that the Government would be privatising Aer Lingus. I do not know why they are doing this. I can only assume it is the tail wagging the dog syndrome that Fianna Fáil suffers from and that the PDs policies are forcing them into this. To reiterate what has been pointed out by many better than me before:

• The EU does not prevent investment into State owned companies where that investment is commercially viable and therefore the Government is perfectly entitled to fund fleet expansion if it wishes.
• The amount of money that the airline will be sold for is pocket change compared to the amount of cash at the Government's disposal. The county's loaded - we do not need it.
• The Government is going to have to fund the pension deficit
• The airline industry is very vunerable to changes in the political and economic climate and yet Ireland, as an island nation, requires a full air service no matter what the oil price may be or no matter how much lucicrous fear mongering is going on about flying at the time
• At some point (and probably not too far into the future) Aer Lingus will be purchased by another airline and subsumed into it becoming a regional feeder for its master's services. Aer Leprechaun awaits.
• We already have a "free market, low fares" airline and it is the most successful in the EU. Aer Lingus will not be able to beat it and Mr. O'Leary has already stated that he intends to crush Aer Lingus as soon as it is privatised.

The whole thing is madness. Martin Cullen is the worst Irish Government minister since Conor Crusie O'Brien.