RYANAIR BOSS MICHAEL O’Leary has said the airline has “absolutely nothing to apologise for” after it bought 25 houses in a north Dublin estate.
The company has faced criticism from local politicians over the acquisition, amid concerns over the homes never coming to the market.
Last week, the airline said it bought the houses in Boroimhe in Swords so it can provide “high-quality but affordable rentals” close to Dublin Airport for newly hired cabin crew.
It said that the absence of affordable rental accommodation has been a “major impediment” to the recruitment of new staff for its Dublin Airport operations.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said that while he doesn’t believe it will negatively impact families or first-time buyers in the area looking to buy a home, he added that the government “wants family homes to be able to be purchased by families and individuals”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, O’Leary said the homes are “just one bus stop” from Dublin airport, making it much more convenient for the company’s new hires.
He added that Ryanair needs to ensure there is accommodation for cabin crew recruited every year, but claimed there are plenty of houses still on the market for people looking to buy a home.
I would apologize to nobody, for our first job here is to look after our passengers and our second job is to look after our staff. And if anybody else wants to whinge about it, then they can buy one of the other 32,555 that have been built last year.
O’Leary said that Ryanair had been renting properties for staff in areas such as Citywest but found public transport an issue to get to and from Dublin Airport “either early in the morning or late in the evening”.
He said that the airline would buy more properties if necessary but doesn’t believe it will have to.
When asked if he was surprised by political criticism of the purchase, O’Leary said; “Not particularly, like politicians will always pander to whatever media storm is going on at any given time.”
He added: “But my job here is to make sure that we have accommodation for we the young cabin crew we recruit each year. Some of them are European, some come from the country in Ireland.”
Asked by the presenter what he would say to families who were looking to buy the homes, only for Ryanair to swoop in, O’Leary said: “Nothing.”
He continued to insist that the move was fair and reasonable, adding that there “will be 40 other houses and apartments available elsewhere in Dublin this summer”, as Ryanair staff won’t be renting those properties.
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