Cork Fianna Fail TDs said yesterday that they will strongly resist any attempts by the Government to sell off Cork Airport in the future.
They have been joined in their campaign by one of the four Independent TDs supporting the Government, Kerry South TD Mr Jackie Healy-Rae, who said last night he would be "totally opposed" to any move to privatise the airport.
At yesterday's meeting of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party, a total of 14 TDs spoke on a motion that Cork Airport be maintained in State ownership. There was "consensus" on this issue, party chairman Dr Rory O'Hanlon said afterwards.
The Irish Times has learned that the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, told TDs that the first she had heard of a new consultants' report on transport and competitiveness, including air transport, was from a delegation of SIPTU airport workers two weeks ago.
The Minister said she had to check with the Taoiseach's office after the meeting to confirm the report had been commissioned.
The report was commissioned by Forfas under the aegis of the National Competitiveness Council, which is connected to the Taoiseach's Department.
The Minister said she was disturbed that she had not been told about the report and was unhappy at the manner in which she found out. It is understood the report will be making recommendations about Cork Airport.
All Cork City TDs are opposed to the sell-off of the airport, apart from the Cork South Central TD, Mr Batt O'Keeffe, who told the meeting it should be run as a public/private partnership.
Yesterday's motion was moved by Minister of State Mr Dan Wallace and seconded by Mr Noel O'Flynn, both TDs for Cork North Central.
Afterwards, when contacted by The Irish Times, Mr O'Flynn said the plan for Aer Rianta to invest £60 million in Cork Airport over the next five years should go ahead. "That should happen - and then it would take a very compelling reason at that stage to convince me that the airport should be sold," he said.