Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

The key point is that the Government is ad idem, of one mind, on this. I refer the Deputy to page 14 of the programme for Government which makes very clear that, after due consideration, there will be a sale of State assets amounting up to €2 billion which will be part of, and in addition to, the national development plan. We need to keep the State companies focused on what they do best. If there are investments or companies as subsets of those State companies which can be sold off because they are not essential, the key point being that non-essential State assets are intended, these could be used productively to get a stream of revenue into the State companies and, through NewERA, create thousands of jobs. If we do not get the wake-up call across clearly to everyone that this must be done, we will not be able to recover in this recession or be able to create the jobs that are so essential in broadband, water, bioenergy and so on. This is the situation and that is exactly what we will do. We are united and absolutely committed and dedicated on that principle.

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