Outspoken CEO of Europe’s largest discount carrier Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, has said that he expects to stand down within the next two or three years, but only when his company has succeeded in taking control of Irish national carrier Aer Lingus.

In an interview, Mr O’Leary admitted that having failed twice to take control of Aer Lingus in the last three years, an outright bid for the carrier was now unlikely.  However, he said Ryanair would let the struggling Aer Lingus continue to be mismanaged for the next two years, and they would come back to the budge airline asking for them to rescue it.

O’Leary went on to say that in two or three year’s time, he expected that he would be gone from Ryanair, for which he has worked for as CEO for the past 15 years.

The Irish economy, just a few years ago was one of the fastest growing and most dynamic in Europe, but has struggled to attract cheap labour and debt financing since the economic downturn.  Despite the difficult economic situation, Mr O’Leary he said the blame lied at the door of former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.  He described Ahern as a ‘feckless ditherer’ who had pissed away Ireland’s recent economic achievements.