asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether Bord Fáilte now support the granting of landing rights to one or more United States carries at Dublin Airport; and, if so, why.
12.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Airport Landing Rights.
11.
Mr. O'Donnell
Mr. O'Donnell
asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether Bord Fáilte have carried out any recent survey or investigation into the implications for the Irish tourist industry of granting landing rights at Dublin to the United States carriers; and, if so, what the findings are.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together.
I am informed by Bord Fáilte that they have not carried out any such survey as is mentioned by the Deputy. Bord Fáilte and the other State-sponsored bodies concerned were required to furnish for the information of the Government their best assessment of the implications in relation to their respective activities of US airline landings at Dublin.
It is a matter for the Government to appraise these assessments and to determine the question at issue in the light of the anticipated consequences for the sectional interests involved and the overall national interest.
Mr. O'Donnell
Is the Minister aware that two public statements issued by Bord Fáilte in the past week have given rise to a considerable amount of concern in regard to this whole issue? One statement was contained in the draft plan issued by Bord Fáilte in which they advocated the opening up of a new gateway to Pan American and TWA. The second was in an interview given by Mr. Joe Malone, the Bord Fáilte manager for North America, to an international travel journal called Travel Weekly, in which he said that the admission of one US carrier to Dublin would greatly benefit the Irish tourist industry. The Minister will agree that these two statements are in direct conflict with the views consistently held by the chairman of Bord Fáilte and the director-general over the past 12 months on this issue. Has the Minister any comment to make on those two statements?
The Deputy is aware that we are negotiating. It seems to be part of the burden of negotiations by the Government to have to negotiate in a goldfish bowl with everyone who does not agree with you on the home side expressing disagreement. We are used to this. At the same time, when we are negotiating I do not know what influence it has on the home situation, or on those who are negotiating on the other side. It is par for the course here to have people expressing opinions on what you are doing, sometimes opinions which may not help your negotiations. I do not know what you can do to stop them.
Mr. O'Donnell
Would the Minister not agree that, while negotiations are going on, it is very unwise for prominent spokesmen for an organisation like Bord Fáilte, which has a very big interest in this issue, to make public statements?
The Deputy is also publicising it. I do not think State bodies can be expected to be wiser than we in this House.
Mr. O'Donnell
These two statements favour the American case. None of my statements favours the American case.
I do not see any need to spell them out or to publicise them. If statements are made which weaken our position it is not our business to publicise them.