Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

The only stimulus of any note in this plan relates to capital expenditure programmes. Unfortunately, the deal the Government is currently negotiating with the IMF and with the EU institutions completely undermines the credibility of the national recovery plan. The plan states that in the next four years the ESB, a semi-State company, is going to spend €6 billion on infrastructure projects throughout the country. However, the ESB and every other State company and asset is going to be used as collateral or security for the loan in respect of which the Government is negotiating. We do not, therefore, have the capacity-----

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