State 'not avoiding Ryanair flights'

The Government has denied a claim by Ryanair that it has a deliberate policy of avoiding bookings with the airline.

It also rejected an accusation by Ryanair to the effect that the Government was "wasting" €3.4 million a year through bookings with "high-fare carriers".

The claims were in a full-page advertisement taken out in a number of national newspapers under the headline "How Your Taxes Are Being Wasted!"

Ryanair's commercial director, Mr Michael Cawley, said the figures were based on an average flight cost of €50 with the budget airline, which, he said, produced an average saving of 75 per cent on all routes.

The Government said there was no policy to avoid Ryanair. "The cheapest fare is not always the best," a spokesman said.