Cabinet delays publishing Aer Rianta legislation

The breakup of Aer Rianta was discussed by the Cabinet but it has postponed a final decision on the legislation to break up the…

The breakup of Aer Rianta was discussed by the Cabinet but it has postponed a final decision on the legislation to break up the airports operator following the poor performance of the Government parties in the local elections.

The Cabinet is believed to have been reluctant to bring forward the
legislation to breakup the company ahead of a Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting this evening.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern

The Fianna Fáil  Parliamentary Party is due to meet this evening, with backbenchers expected to express their unhappiness with Government policy in many areas, including health, housing  and social welfare.

However, it is understood that the Government intends to have the legislation through the Dáil before the summer recess.

At the Cabinet meeting relations between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats are understood to be somewhat frostier than before the European and local elections, which saw the larger party's vote plummet.

Fianna Fáil lost 7 per cent of its support, two MEPs and 84 of its 382 council seats. The majority of these lost votes were mopped up by Sinn Féin, which gained 4.5 per cent, translating into one European and 33 local seats.

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Kilian Doyle

Kilian Doyle

Kilian Doyle is an Assistant News Editor at The Irish Times