Madam, - Your Editorial of October 6th seems to pin the future of Aer Lingus "on the hope that Mr O'Leary can be trusted when he says he is cognisant of the national interest". You must be joking. If and when Ryanair take over Aer Lingus it will immediately start the process of getting a return on its capital and the quickest way is to sell off Aer Lingus assets, including the transatlantic routes. The only way the Government can prevent this is by going to the market and buying back enough shares to give it a majority shareholding.
Why didn't the Government foresee this scenario? Why was millions of taxpayers' money spent on consultants and specialists when they couldn't spot this outcome? Any Junior Cert economics student could have told them that once you sell something you have no influence over what the purchaser does with the item.
Once again this Government has sold off a national asset in the name of a discredited ideology. - Yours, etc,
JOHN WILLIAMS, Circular Road, Kilkee, Co Clare.