"Irish official slates Airports Bill as 'rushed' but will back it"

Monday, July 12, 2004

O'Rourke slates Airports Bill as 'rushed' but will back it
The Irish Independent


SEANAD leader Mary O'Rourke has criticised the proposed State Airports
Bill, allowing the break-up of Aer Rianta, as a piece of "rushed" and
"premature" legislation. She said it should not be passed until the
autumn.

"I don't think it's good legislation. I think it's rushed," said Senator
O'Rourke on RTE radio yesterday . "The business plans don't come into
play until next April of 2005. The force of the legislation underlying
it does not come into play until next April and I thought it would be
more appropriate to leave it until the autumn," she said.

However, the senator said she would be supporting the bill, which is
before the Seanad, despite her reservations. "I will be supporting it
because it's Government legislation. I am a member of a governing party
and I support the government," she said.

"But I do think it's rushed and I do think it's premature," she added.
O'Rourke denied this was disingenuous of her. "No, I'm being honest,
which might be a bit difficult," she said.

"I don't think the legislation is warranted now because we don't have
the full picture, that's the point I'm making. We don't have the
business plans," she said.

Senator O'Rourke's comments came as the adjournment of the Seanad for
the summer recess was delayed for a week to allow Senators debate the
Airports Bill.

Only a week ago, Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan, along with the
Taoiseach and the Tanaiste, expressed confidence that it would be
through both houses of the Oireachtas before the summer recess.

O'Rourke denied she had derailed Minister Brennan's plans to have the
bill passed quickly. "No I don't think it was derailed. I don't think it
would be seen as that because it's just the following week and I cannot
see why the haste for it is so apparent," she said. "I'm satisfied now
that we will have two full days for dealing with it next week, Tuesday
and Wednesday."

When asked if she would support Aer Lingus chief executive Willie
Walsh's proposed management buy-out of Aer Lingus, Ms O'Rourke said she
had yet to make up her mind. "Anything Willie Walsh does would be a good
attempt to do good for the airline. But I need to know further details
of what is entailed within it, what it will mean.

"By and large Willie Walsh is a person with a keen brain and he's able
to move along and work with people with him. If the Government thinks
it's right to look at that further and give further results out of it, I
would look forward to that. But I've yet to make up my mind because I
don't have the details," she said.

Reflecting on the success of the Government during the EU presidency,
she admitted it meant had come at a cost to Fianna Fail in the local
elections.

"Did we take the eye off the ball? Bearing in mind that all politics is
local, the Taoiseach still was every week in the Dail."


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