Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Louise O’Reilly TD has said the commitment given to her in the Dáil by the Tánaiste that “Aer Lingus will not be allowed to fail” is an extremely welcome one which will reassure thousands of workers at the airline.

Teachta O’Reilly said:

“On a daily basis my office speaks with workers at Aer Lingus who have not only seen their wages suffer significant cuts, but who live in fear for the future of their jobs.

“I spoke with one worker who had some savings that she hoped to use to buy a home, but she is now regarded by the bank as an ‘uncertain’ customer.

“The airline needs certainty, and these workers need certainty.

 “The government need to move to put in place all the recommendations of the aviation task force, including refreshing the recommendations in light of the industry facing a second year of closure, to ensure that the future of Aer Lingus is assured, and that workers can have confidence that their jobs will return once we work our way out of this pandemic.

“Aer Lingus is vital to our connectivity and it is a significant employer across north county Dublin. More needs to be done to ensure we can save the aviation sector.

“I am glad that the Tánaiste has agreed with me that we must ensure the future of Aer Lingus, and that he unequivocally stated that ‘Aer Lingus will not be allowed to fail’.

“I would hope that any discussion of additional funding for Aer Lingus would examine cash for equity assistance to ensure value for money for the taxpayer.”