Tánaiste Brian Cowen has rejected a Labour Party claim that the Government was engaged in a "political conspiracy to cover up what was known about Shannon" and the loss of the Aer Lingus Heathrow slots to Belfast.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore made the claim following media reports that the Government secretary was aware on July 27th that Aer Lingus had decided to move its Heathrow slots from Shannon, two weeks before the company made its announcement.
Mr Gilmore questioned how the Government secretary, who is secretary of the Taoiseach's department, knew about the decision, "that the line department was aware of it six weeks earlier and that nobody in the Government was told about it".
Mr Cowen said he rejected Mr Gilmore's assertion.
Mr Gilmore referred to the Travers report in 2005 following which, he said the Taoiseach had given the Dáil an undertaking that the Government would implement its recommendations.
The report investigated the controversy surrounding the illegal charging of patients for nursing homes and the claim by the then minister for health that he had not been informed.
Mr Gilmore said: "After all this, the Government expects us to believe that experienced civil servants, who regardless of the Travers report are conscious of politically sensitive matters, did not tell a Government Minister about the Shannon decision."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked if the Government intended "to introduce a working early warning system to ensure that when information such as this comes to light it is transmitted to the Ministers concerned? It seems that Ministers hear nothing and in many cases, do nothing and in almost all cases, see nothing."
