Unions are pressing the Government to defer the final break-up of Aer Rianta until next year as part of a bid to save the faltering pay talks which are set to run late into tonight.
With discussions continuing this evening between the employers group, IBEC and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) it was suggested that breaking up the State-owned airports operator may be achieved under two pieces of legislation.
The first of these, the State Airports Bill, is due to be published over the next few days. It is understood that any remaining legislation would be enacted under ministerial order.
Last night the pay talks were stymied last night by the Aer Rianta issue.
Sources around the discussions today said the unions insisted the Aer Rianta issue must be sorted out before the key elements of a wage deal could be agreed.
Unions are confident that the boards to run Cork, Limerick and Dublin Airports will be established immediately. These boards will then prepare business plans for each airport. These will then have to be approved by the Department of Finance before any final break-up of the airports.
If these plans are seen as viable by the Department of Finance legislation to break-up the company will proceed next June at the earliest, according to the plan.
The unions have also insisted the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan's plan to separate the company into three individual operators at Cork, Dublin and Shannon airports should not affect workers pay and conditions.
On Tuesday, the Cabinet deferred a decision on the legislation needed to effect the break-up of the semi-State company.