Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

A board supports management decisions. It does not overturn them. The board of Aer Lingus agrees there were difficulties with the commercial realities of the decision.

I have said many times that the loss of the Shannon-Heathrow service is disappointing and that the counties in the wider mid-west region, and along the western seaboard in particular, have difficulties with the decision. Unlike Deputy Gilmore and the Labour and Fine Gael parties, we will not give up.

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