The Department of Transport's top official urged the chairman of Aer Lingus in mid-June not to make any speedy decisions to cease or reduce services between Heathrow and Shannon.
Last night, the Department of Transport published a 40-page review of the events that led to Aer Lingus's decision in early August to stop the service.
Secretary general Julie O'Neill said she had "spelt out" to Aer Lingus chairman John Sharman on June 15th the Government's and department's concerns about such a move.
Last night, Fine Gael's Fergus O'Dowd said the report revealed gross negligence on the part of Mr Dempsey and senior officials, who had failed to protect Ireland's strategic interests.
Ms O'Neill said she had spoken to the Aer Lingus chairman early on June 15th, following a detailed e-mail late the previous night from Department of Transport assistant secretary John Murphy.
Mr Murphy warned that a Heathrow service would be "a crucial element" in Aer Lingus's Belfast plans, require the cessation of Shannon/Heathrow flights and the transfer of aircraft from there.
"Aer Lingus's services at Shannon would then be limited to transatlantic services only," he wrote, adding that Aer Lingus believed Belfast-Heathrow was "significantly" more attractive than Shannon.
"While a final decision has not yet been taken, recent reports have led to an acceleration of the decision processes in Aer Lingus. The decision could be finalised very shortly," he told Ms O'Neill.
In her 8.10am conversation with Mr Sharman the following morning, Ms O'Neill said she had asked him about "the imminence" of a Belfast announcement, but was told that no decisions had been taken. Other hubs were then still being considered, as was the possibility of reducing services elsewhere, using different aircraft and retaining at least some Shannon services, Mr Sharman told her.
Ms O'Neill supported Minister for Transport's Noel Dempsey's declaration that he was not told anything about the threat to Shannon until August 3rd.
Having outlined the Government's concerns, Ms O'Neill said Mr Sharman assured her that no "hasty decision" would be made, and that the implications for Shannon would be "fully thought through" if Belfast was chosen.
Believing that "the immediate urgency had gone", she said she had told Mr Murphy that the hub plan was "at quite an early stage of development and relatively low" on Mr Sharman's priorities.
During a first briefing with the new Minister six hours later that day, Ms O'Neill said she had mentioned a number of aviation matters "which, at the time, were of more immediate concern".
On Tuesday, June 19th, she said Mr Dempsey heard reports from all key officials.
Mr Murphy's detailed note on the issue, which was titled as "a note for the Minister's information" and which was sent first to Ms O'Neill on June 14th, was never forwarded to Mr Dempsey's office.
