Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Will the Taoiseach reflect on the inglorious record on privatisation of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats? Eircom involved an orgy of asset stripping and speculation, with huge detriment to investment in that industry. The Irish Sugar privatisation has wiped out the beet industry to be replaced not by small holders from the Third World but sweated sugar. We had the B&I Line privatisation and last year's spectacle of Irish Ferries replacing trade union workers with virtual galley slaves.

When it comes to the privatisation of public assets, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats have shown themselves to be the Podge and Rodge of Irish politics, reinforcing one another's ideological banalities and prejudices and the backbenchers, like their audience, do not know whether they should laugh or squirm in embarrassment. They should squirm in embarrassment if they are prepared to tolerate the sell-out of thousands of Aer Lingus workers, their communities and the national airline.

Why will the Taoiseach not show the same commitment to a publicly owned airline as that shown by the Aer Lingus workers? All the Independent Deputies, who have different ideological viewpoints, are opposed to the privatisation of Aer Lingus, as are the vast majority of Irish people. I ask the Taoiseach to reflect again on where he is going and adopt a different tactic of maintaining the airline fully in public ownership and investing in it.

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