Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

I fully support the Private Members' motion and I reject totally the efforts of the Government to engage in a salami-style privatisation of our semi-State companies starting with the ESB. I am not surprised this route is being taken. Under the guise of EU-IMF intervention attempts are being made to foist similar programmes on Greece at present. In reality this is the neoliberal agenda. It is an opportunity to hive off successful semi-State companies, to give them away for a song and to be profited from to the detriment of the workforce, the public and the taxpayer. Every day we see companies such as Aviva, TalkTalk and MBNA shedding jobs. This shows the fallacy of relying on the private sector for employment. The Government's claim that privatisation and this programme is being driven by the desire to get cash to invest in a job creation programme is an absolute joke. It is an affront to the intelligence of the population in that everybody knows privatisation inevitably leads to job losses.

The Government is addressing this issue completely the wrong way round. The semi-State companies have played a hugely important strategic role in the development of the State. Companies like Bord na Móna and Aer Lingus have survived for over 75 years, a fate not achieved by many others. The ESB, far from being stripped, should be developed and invested in as a key economic lever to develop and stimulate economic growth.

Let us consider the ESB's history. The Ardnacrusha project was probably the only outstanding technical accomplishment in the State in the 20th century and it was carried off by a semi-State company. At that time, it delivered 80 MW of power when the demand was 3 MW. It was laughed out of hand by The Times of London and told that Irish people would be fried in their beds. However, what it had was a vision, idea and investment. It did it, and it achieved wonders.

This is what the Government should be doing, rather than imposing austerity. There are 700 engineers in the ESB. The Government should immediately employ another 500 in a dedicated renewable energy sector whereby the Government could develop offshore wind and wave energy within a period of about five years and become a world leader in that sector given the geographic conditions that exist in Ireland. That is the way forward, not austerity. The semi-States have a key role in that process. We will implacably support the amendment put forward by the United Left Alliance to support the workforce in that company in regard to industrial action to defend and expand it.

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