Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

It is not a surprise to Sinn Féin that the Fine Gael Party is happy to kowtow to the troika. It shares the IMF's view of the world and is ideologically committed to small government and every man and woman for himself or herself. Prior to the election, the Labour party committed itself to State enterprises and stated categorically it would use commercial semi-State companies as a key part of the recovery. It was, we were told, opposed to the privatisation of these companies. To use the well-worn phrase coined by the former Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen, the Labour Party now tells us "we are where we are". That is not good enough. The Minister has bleated far and wide of his regret at having to make the decision in respect of the ESB while the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, informed the House last night that we simply do not have a choice. Surely politics and good governance are about choices.

Some of our colleagues in the Labour Party made erroneous statements in respect of Sinn Féin's role in the Six Counties. I am disappointed Deputy Keaveney and others have not stayed around to hear the facts, which I will place on record. In respect of Northern Ireland Water, in advance of the 2007 Assembly elections, British direct rule Ministers threatened to introduce household water and sewerage charges. The Government-owned Northern Ireland Water had been established to deliver water and sewerage services and it was Sinn Féin's view that the British Government was setting up the company for eventual privatisation. Following the Assembly election, my party specifically selected the Department for Regional Funding as one of our Ministries in the coalition Executive for the very reason that it has policy and funding responsibility for Northern Ireland Water. The Sinn Féin Minister for Regional Funding at the time, Conor Murphy, MLA, reversed the British direct rule Ministers' proposal by announcing that water and sewerage services would remain in full public ownership. He rejected privatisation and reversed the proposed household charge. In addition, he pumped £750 million-----

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