Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I would like to speak about the elephant in the Chamber. Who is paying for it? The savers are paying for it. The Government decided to steal from young and old workers and savers. The people in question are not being allowed to choose whether to opt in or opt out. There is no scaling of the theft. A person with a €10,000 pension pot will pay the same levy rate as a person with a €1 million pension pot. We have been told this measure is temporary and will last for four years. I am reminded of the sporting expression that "form is temporary and class is permanent". This Government has shown neither form nor class in its short life.

The Government parties originally said they would fund the jobs initiative through the sale of State assets. The McCarthy report on State assets was given to the Government four weeks ago. At the time, the Government said it would be happy and glad to inform the House of its response to the report and its plans in this regard. What is keeping it? Is the Government split on the issue? If not, we should hear its response. I suggest it should set a date. My constituency and the midlands in general owe a debt of gratitude to bodies like the ESB, Coillte and Bord na Móna. The people of these communities, including the companies' workers and their families, are entitled to know where their futures lie, to hear whether assurances will be given to them and to know if their futures are to be put in doubt.

Perhaps Irish pension companies have a role in purchasing State assets. It would raise capital and retain the sense of State or public ownership that the Government wishes to dilute. I appeal to the Government to get even more real than the Minister for Finance was when he used the word "modest" to describe this initiative. The Government parties played with the emotions of the public earlier this year. They are governing in the opposite fashion to that in which they opposed. I ask them to re-engage with the issue of the semi-State sector and to respond to the McCarthy proposals. It will be interesting to hear whether they say the same things they said earlier this year.

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