A worker director representing SIPTU on the board of Dublin Airport Authority has resigned, saying there was not sufficient consultation before agreeing a deal with Ryanair for new services at Shannon Airport, writes Emmet Oliver
Mr Dermot O'Loughlin said he was not given adequate time to study the deal that was announced earlier this week. Mr O'Loughlin, who heads up the SIPTU civil aviation branch at the airport, said he did not object to the deal "per se", but believed insufficient time was given to directors to study the proposals.
He said the new, low airport charges regime that has been agreed with Ryanair for Shannon could have serious consequences for Dublin Airport. He noted that all three airports - Dublin, Shannon and Cork - were still under the ultimate ownership of the Dublin Airport Authority and any losses or debt accrued by Shannon would come onto the balance sheet of the authority.
Mr O'Loughlin said it was made impossible for him to perform his duties as a worker director when the board and chairman, Mr Gary McGann, refused to give directors adequate time to study proposals and understand if they were progressive in nature.
He also questioned whether the Shannon Airport Authority board had the powers to agree to such a deal.
The three other worker directors on the board have not resigned. Mr O'Loughlin said he could only speak for SIPTU, which represents the largest group of workers at the airports.
The Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, said he regretted Mr O'Loughlin's decision, but it was an issue for the Dublin Airport Authority board. He urged people to look at the "big picture" and consider the bright futures available for Shannon and Cork.
"They want to be masters of their own destiny," he told a press briefing yesterday on transport issues in Government buildings.
For its part, the Dublin Airport Authority strongly defended the deal with Ryanair and said it was concluded only after weeks of negotiation. A statement said the deal was "fully validated by the Shannon Airport Authority board, its management team and by external professional advisors".
Sources emphasised that competing proposals made to Ryanair by various Italian airports meant "time was of the essence". The statement also defended the decision-making process used to agree the deal.
