God bless them, but the point is that this was an ongoing development. Fianna Fáil Members and I voted in this House and lost members over the issue.

The points made by Senator Sean D. Barrett should be listened to by the Government. The sale of Aer Lingus to IAG is absolutely undermining the airline and it is national sabotage to decide on it. It reminds me of when a former Fine Gael Government, including the late Jim Mitchell, sold Irish Shipping and deprived Ireland of its own shipping line for imports and exports. It was an absolute act of sabotage and the same is happening now.

Well said.

Imagine, for an island nation on the edge of Europe-----

What about the railways?

-----to deprive the country of Aer Lingus, one of the finest airlines in the world, is absolute savagery.

That Fianna Fáil sold.

Fianna Fáil sold half of it.

It is a decision that will be regretted in the future. The Government should have been buying further shares in Aer Lingus; it should be buying back the shares in Aer Lingus.

That Fianna Fáil sold.

Things have now changed.

The Senator is way over time.

My point is that it is a bad decision now and was a bad decision then. All I am saying is one should think twice.

More hypocrisy.

When somebody of the calibre of Senator Sean D. Barrett makes such a speech in this Chamber, he should be listened to.

The Senator is over time.

Let me remind Senator Terry Leyden that it was his party that sold off 75% of Aer Lingus. He should not forget that.

I forget nothing.

The Senator obviously does.

Moreover, it sold off the controlling interest in the airline, which the Senator should not forget.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee.