The Agriculture Minister says “as of yet” the government has not received an offer for Aer Lingus that is “persuasive enough”.
Simon Coveney admits there are “mixed views” within Fine Gael over the sale of the airline and says the 'ball is in IAG's court'.
The Minister says regional connectivity is crucial to the public interest – as well as valuable slots at Heathrow Airport.
Simon Coveney says IAG has not yet persuaded the government to part with its 25 percent stake.
“It is up to IAG to make an offer that is persuasive in relation to the public interest here, and as of yet we don't have an offer that is persuasive enough” he said.
“Paschal Donohoe has been absolutely consistent through this process; he's not saying too much because he can't say too much on behalf of the shareholder – but he has made his views very clear to IAG and the ball is in their court” he added.
