29th January 2003

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Ryanair accused of engaging in "sharp and shady practices"

Sinn Fein Consumers Affairs spokesperson Arthur Morgan TD has accused Ryanair of engaging in "sharp and shady practices" after Aer Rianta revealed that the budget airline was "pocketing money which didn't belong to it". Deputy Morgan made his comments in light of the revelations that emerged from yesterdays Oireachtas Transport Committee meeting. He said:

"Like everybody else I was astonished to hear that Ryanair was pocketing millions of Euro of money which didn't belong to it. There are very serious questions to be asked about the legality of what appears to be very sharp and shady practices. Ryanair must come clean. For years now the public has been bombarded with propaganda from the airline in which it accuses all around it of ripping passengers off with high prices. On the face of it they would appear to be equally guilty of ripping 'no-show' passengers off only in a more underhand and systematic way.

"I will attempt to raise the matter in the Dáil later today and will demand that the Minister for Transport and the Director of Consumer Affairs investigate this issue as a matter of urgency and to initiate proceedings which will prohibit airlines from retaining taxes that they are not entitled to."

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