The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, is to meet Ryanair's chief executive, Mr Michael O'Leary, next week to discuss the company's proposals for a second terminal at Dublin airport.
Mr O'Leary has criticised Aer Rianta's monopoly position in the sector and at a meeting of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday he said Ryanair could build its own terminal for £20 million, or the equivalent of two years' airport charges to Aer Rianta.
Yesterday Ms O'Rourke, who was attending the CWU conference, confirmed that Mr O'Leary had sought a meeting and this was due to take place next week.
"I'm open to meeting him because you can't go around preaching that people should meet each other and not be doing it yourself.
"I am open to what he has to say to me, and I hope that he would be equally open to what I have to say. It is useful for both of us to meet." However, she cautioned against anything being read into such a meeting.
"Aer Rianta is doing a good job," she said. "It hasn't raised its landing charges in a decade. That is some feat."