Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has criticised the Aer Lingus decision to ban staff from using Irish during in-flight announcements on its new Belfast route.
Mr Ahern told the Dáil that 'a few sentences wouldn't hurt anyone', and that Aer Lingus was still the national airline.
He was responding to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who asked whether the Government had been informed of the decision, and pointed out that it still owned 23% of the company on behalf of the people.
The Taoiseach said the Government had no role in the matter.
And he pointed out that in North-South talks those who were fluent in Irish used that language without anyone objecting, while even those who are not fluent use the 'cúpla focal'.
