Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

That is exactly what he was told and the Minister knows it because he watched it happen.

I do not agree with the privatisation and breaking up of the ESB. The company has served the nation with distinction throughout its history. It will probably end up belonging to E.ON or Centrica. While this may not be the Minister's agenda, it is that of certain people in his party. It is a conservative and reactionary agenda and I am opposed to it. These amendments point us in that direction and are therefore dangerous.

One can look at the ESB as primarily being a transmission and distribution operator. The Minister could have followed that model but chose not to do so. I wonder why.

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