‘IRELAND NEEDS STABILITY’: WALSH WARNING ON POLL

WILLIE Walsh, boss of the parent company of Aer Lingus, has warned the Government against a general election ‘at this critical time’.

Mr Walsh, right, who is CEO of the International Airlines Group, spoke at the annual Shannon Chamber of Commerce President’s lunch at Dromoland Castle, Co. Clare.

IAG also operates British Airways and Spain’s Iberia carrier.

Mr Walsh said: ‘Ireland needs stability at a time like this given the very important Brexit negotiations and given that Ireland will be the country outside the UK most impacted by Brexit.’

He said: ‘Elections always bring a little bit of business uncertainty and tend to distract people from day-to-day activities.’ He added: ‘We do need to see a strong government in place.’

Addressing a packed house, Mr Walsh said: ‘Politicians will decide. And if they decide that they don’t have confidence in the current Government, well it is inevitable that there will be an election.’ He added: ‘But people need to consider whether this will distract from the focus on European negotiations on Brexit and whether the Irish position on this gets weakened as a result.

‘I am not sure this would be in the interests of Ireland at this critical time.’

Mr Walsh told the audience that he had voted to remain in the EU, as the union was ‘a fantastic concept’, but said that it required significant change, adding that his dealings with the EU Commission were ‘not encouraging’.

He said that the decision by the UK to exit the European Union has been made ‘and we have to make the most of it’.