GALWAY AIRPORT staff pledged to continue a sit-in last night, as the company’s management held talks with Bank of Ireland over funding difficulties.
The airport faces possible liquidation unless it can agree a rescue package with the bank, which last week transferred €1.1 million from the company’s current account and offset it against its loans.
The airport has said it did not authorise the transfer, and that it had a clear business plan that had been agreed with the bank.
A group of duty managers among 14 staff still working at the airport in Carnmore initiated the sit-in on Monday evening, seeking assurances they will be paid statutory redundancy entitlements.
Most of the airport’s core complement of 55 staff were let go before Christmas, following Aer Arann’s decision to withdraw its routes to and from Galway last October.
Of the 14 remaining employees, eight are due to finish up on February 19th, with six – including air traffic control and fire-fighting staff – maintaining the airstrip for charter and helicopter flights and the flying club.
Duty manager Michael Moloney, who was sitting in last night, explained he and his colleagues sought to have their redundancy payments brought forward, following the bank’s move last week.
“The bank precipitated this situation, and it has wider implications for the business community at large,” he said.
He pointed out that part of the Government’s operational subvention of €2.3 million awarded to Galway Airport last year was to have been used for redundancy payments.
“The bank raided that account, and it is morally and ethically not right,” he said.
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has sought a report on the bank’s move, and the issue has also been referred to the Attorney-General, while Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore met the airport board for a briefing on the issue last Friday.
A spokesman for Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said last night he was getting “regular updates from his officials”.
Galway Airport is run by the city’s chamber of commerce, and it held its first direct talks with Bank of Ireland yesterday since the fund transfer.
Galway Chamber of Commerce president Declan Dooley said “discussions were ongoing”, and he would be reporting to the airport board this morning. A spokeswoman for Bank of Ireland declined to comment on the talks.