Labour Party backbencher Michael McNamara is to vote against the Government in a Dáil motion on the sale of Aer Lingus later today.
The Clare TD will automatically lose the party whip.
He told the Dáil that while much had been done to meet Labour Party concerns over the sale of the natioanal airline to IAG, there were outstanding issues.
“There are questions I have…questions unanswered, and, in that context, I am not prepared to gamble with what I believe is the key to the economic development of all of this state,’’ he added.
He next year would mark the centenary of the Rising and there would be talk of developing all of the country equally.
“Connectivity is key, particularly connectivity to the mid-west,’’ he added. “I don’t have confidence in the guarantees, at the moment as they stand.’’
He told Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe, who was in the chamber, he regretted he would not be able to support the Government motion on the sale later.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Joan Burton has again said Aer Lingus jobs will be protected in the sale of the Government’s stake in the airline.
She told the Dáil on Thursday Aer Lingus had been involved in “significant recruitment’’ in the recent past.
“This is an airline that is going to expand,’’ she said.
She added the company was committed to a regular and structured interaction with the trade unions relating to terms and conditions of employees.
Ms Burton said the House would shortly consider legislation on registered employment agreements.
She said the airline customer had been forgotten in the debate on the issue.
Ms Burton said the key issue in a report by consultants Nyras was that it referred to business abroad. “So it has no impact or inference for employment in Aer Lingus in Ireland,’’ she added.
She said Nyras, as she understood it, was a consultancy company engaged by Aer Lingus to carry out confidential analysis of the airline’s cost structure.
The report was an internal document in a private company and it would not be common for Government departments and the Cabinet to receive a copy, she added.
The Tánaiste was replying to Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley and Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald at Opposition Leaders’ Questions.
