In an exclusive poll for the Sunday Tribune by Millward Brown/IMS, 35% of respondents said that the government is wrong to privatise the national airline, with opposition strongest in Dublin. A similar number back the sell off, with support strongest among younger people aged under 25.

Despite years of public debate, and several aborted attempts to float the airline, 30% of respondents are still undecided about whether the government is doing the right thing.

Government supporters are generally backing the sell off but, despite the Progressive Democrats' enthusiasm for privatisation, one-fifth of its supporters give the Aer Lingus flotation the thumbs down. Some 42% of Fine Gael voters are against the sale, the same proportion as for Labour supporters.

Private individuals are being invited to buy shares in the airline and an indicative price will be disclosed this week when the prospectus is published, probably on Tuesday. The government has ruled out a repeat of the publicity blitz used to whip up support for the Eircom sell off in 1999. Individuals will have to stump up at least 10,000 to buy Aer Lingus shares and they will get additional loyalty shares if they hang on to the investment for at least 12 months.

The biggest turn off for investors is that the government and unions will still own 40% of Aer Lingus stock after the flotation. Generous payouts and wage increases for staff, as well as a cash injection to the pension fund, may dull interest from both institutional investors and any prospective airline that may have considered acquiring a strategic stake. There has been speculation that operators such as Emirates - where Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion was previously boss - could buy into the state carrier. Concessions to staff may also prove offputting to prospective investors. Siptu has already stated that it hopes this will be the case.

The contentious public offering, which is expected to value Aer Lingus at up to 1bn, will raise 530m that the airline will use to expand its long-haul fleet. It eventually hopes to establish new routes to the US, and has already been considering services to the Far East.