Two State companies, Bord Failte and Aer Rianta, were embroiled in a row last night over charges at Irish airports, with Aer Rianta accusing the tourist board of becoming a "pawn in a Ryanair game".

Bord Failte said the current regime of discounts operated by Aer Rianta, which have formed the basis of low-fare access to the Republic, must be maintained if the tourist industry was to continue growing.

However, Aer Rianta said charges at Irish airports are among the lowest in Europe.

The Aer Rianta statement said: "It is regrettable that Bord Failte . . . should allow itself to become manipulated by Ryanair in this matter."

An earlier statement from the tourist board said it was "alarmed at the prospect of the phasing out of discounts from 1st January next".

It called for a landing charge policy that takes account of the need for competitively priced access to the State.