Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I am amazed at the reaction in the Chamber. It is as if Sinn Féin cannot put forward any proposal or suggestion. I am particularly amazed at the reaction on the Labour benches. The Fine Gael Deputies, by and large, put their arguments forward and responded to Sinn Féin arguments. Unfortunately, Deputies Keaveney and McCarthy ran into the Chamber, made allegations and ran out again. They did not remain to defend their allegations. As I listened to Deputy Keaveney I was tempted to ask him if he had decommissioned his Kalashnikov. When he spoke about British rule and what had happened in the North, I almost thought he had been in the trenches in south Armagh for the last 30 years.

The Labour Deputy who is in the Chamber might tell his colleagues when he sees them that the Six Counties are still under British rule. We do not have fiscal sovereignty there, unfortunately. Northern Ireland Water is a company separate from the State, privatised by the British Government before Sinn Féin was in the Assembly. Sinn Féin would love to have it back under the control of the Assembly. We have stated that time and again. With regard to the bank guarantee, Sinn Féin supported the initial idea of State involvement in guaranteeing the banks in order to protect certain interests, but when the outworkings of the blanket guarantee became apparent we voted against the legislation.

The ESB has been a major contributor to the social and industrial development of this State since the company was founded in 1927. Technologies have developed and the company has been ahead of the curve. From hydro-generation in the 1920s to clean gas in recent years, the ESB has sought to provide professional, dynamic and innovative solutions to meeting its environmental targets while delivering a first-class world energy supply. The company has committed to a target of 30% reduction in its internal carbon footprint and to being a net carbon neutral company by 2035. Such targets will be undermined by private interests in the company if Labour and Fine Gael proceed with their privatisation plan.

Herman Daly, a former senior economist with the environmental department of the World Bank, recently wrote that his time working at that institution taught him that the people of the World Bank see environmental protection as an impediment to growth. The ESB has supported many social projects that have benefited the most vulnerable in society. Suicide prevention programmes, homelessness projects, local sports clubs and events, charities, research bodies and local community and parish based initiatives have all received support, including some in Portarlington in my county of Laois. Will private interests really be happy to extend unquestionably financial support to communities and away from shareholders? Last night, the Ministers for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputies Rabbitte and Howlin, suggested that they intend to find caring, sharing privateers who will put the public good ahead of shareholders' interests. This is the stuff of fantasy and daydreams. It is well-intentioned but a million miles from reality.

Two of the other companies referred to in the McCarthy report are Bord na Móna and Coillte. The report recommended that Bord na Móna be sold and that Coillte dispose of the forestry under its control. The Government is committed to merging them as part of the NewERA programme. It will be interesting to see if that gets off the ground, given that the IMF and EU are hostile to the notion of public investment in job creation. If NewERA does not proceed, the issue of what happens to Bord na Móna and Coillte will be thrown wide open again. It is vital that all the lands and forestry for which those companies are responsible be retained in public ownership. They are vital. In my constituency of Laois-Offaly there are massive tracts of land that need to be utilised. They could be used for the production of alternative energy. As the Government's own proposal in NewERA recognises, there is huge scope for the development of renewable energy and for Bord na Móna and Coillte to play a key role in such projects, which would have a massive potential in addressing our energy requirements and creating badly needed jobs. There are almost 17,000 unemployed people in Laois-Offaly.

It is vital, not only that these assets be retained but that we encourage investment in them, grow these sectors and create jobs.

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