The Government has avoided a shock Dáil defeat on its policy towards Shannon Airport by just one vote.
Government sources said a number of TDs unavoidably missed the vote for personal reasons, but there were no policy disagreements.
The Aer Lingus decision to withdraw from the Shannon to Heathrow route has led to huge opposition from the Mid-West region and has been condemned by the Government and Opposition.
Today the Dáil debated the issue, with a Government motion expressing 'disappointment' at the Aer Lingus decision and supporting efforts to seek replacement services.
But both Fine Gael and Labour proposed amendments calling on the Government to use its shareholding in the airline to insist on the retention of Aer Lingus services between Shannon and Heathrow, which Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey insisted was not possible
That contention was vigorously contested by Opposition deputies, who claimed the Government did have the power to intervene.
But Government TDs from the Mid-West supported Mr Dempsey.
Earlier, during the debate a Fianna Fáil TD claimed that Aer Lingus have sold just 104 seats on the Belfast to London Heathrow route out of a total of more than 18,000.
Deputy Peter Power said that less than one seat per flight on the replacement route had been sold.
He said that if the reason for the change was commercial, the route should be changed back to Shannon, which was profitable.
The Atlantic Connectivity Alliance said it is disappointed but undeterred after western-based Fianna Fáil TDs and Independents failed to support Dáil motions seeking to overturn the Aer Lingus decision to abandon its Shannon toHeathrow service.
ACA spokesman Michael Vaughan said the narrow defeat did not damage the resolve of the alliance and others in the western regions fighting for the retention of what he said was a vital service.
