Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I thank all Deputies for their contributions. While I was in the House to hear most of them I had to leave on a couple of occasions to make some telephone calls.

By and large, people know the position of Government, which has been set out from the beginning. Reference was made to the Labour Party's position. The Labour Party is part of a Coalition Government that negotiated a framework and programme for Government. Not all of the views of the Labour Party or of Fine Gael are replicated in that programme for Government. It is an agreed programme, the fundamental driver of which is the economic regeneration of our country.

I will try now to respond to some of the welcome contributions made. I welcome the contributions of all Members whom I believe speak from the heart in terms of their strong views on these matters, as do I. Deputy Ó Cuív spoke about my personal reluctance in regard to what is being proposed. The Deputy is correct. In normal times, I would not do much of what I am being required to do in the job I have been given. However, these are not normal times. We need to make rational and good decisions using the cards we have been dealt and not the cards we wish we had, as often portrayed by some of the Deputies opposite.

I support Deputy Ó Cuív's analysis of the value of the State sector. As I said in my opening remarks, the Government supports State investment in jobs. There is no difficulty in that regard. Deputy McDonald also spoke of the success of the semi-State agencies and referred to McCarthy's wholesale sell-offs. There are no wholesale sell offs. The only issue agreed in principle by this Government is the sale of a minority shareholding in one State company. It is invidious to compare this to other decisions such as the Eircom decision, which was to privatise an entire company. A majority shareholding in Eircom was sold off, as was the case in respect of the decision regarding Aer Lingus. The Government is determined that the majority of the strategic entity that is the ESB - hopefully on an integrated basis assuming the regulatory issues can be overcome - will be retained in State ownership.

Deputy Daly said there will be no economic recovery without jobs, which is what is at the heart of our strategy. We need to have the wherewithal to create jobs. We must look around to see what tools are available to us as a State and to marshal those in the interests of job creation and growth. Deputy Daly used the phrase "your masters" as if to suggest it is only the Government that is under the constraint of the EU-ECB-IMF deal. We are all under that constraint. That yoke falls upon the shoulders of every Irish citizen, as bequeathed us by the previous Administration. We are determined to get out from under that yoke. We will step by step take the measures required to do that in the timeframe laid out. Deputy Boyd Barrett's position is not economically feasible, which I believe he knows in his heart.

Deputy Pringle spoke of using the ESB to roll out broadband. None of the measures of which the Deputy spoke is precluded. The State will continue to hold a majority shareholding in the ESB and will use it to the best economic advantage. Deputy Healy spoke about the introduction of a wealth tax in place of the sale of a minority shareholding in the ESB. I would like to see his specific proposals in that regard. As I have stated previously, I am offering to any Member of the House who has ideas, including on the opposite side, the resources of the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform to cost them. I am aware that Sinn Féin has already submitted many questions on this matter and we will, in so far as is possible, try to provide them with a detailed analysis.

Deputy Adams spoke about giving up State control and mentioned in particular Bord Gáis. No decision has been made on Bord Gáis. The only decision made relates to the sale of a minority shareholding in one State company, namely, the ESB. The State is not, and will not, give up its control of any strategic State asset. Deputy Ross spoke about the private sector. The Deputy is correct that we live in a free market economy. Some of the rhetoric we have heard is to the contrary. We live in a free market economy and depend on the free market and private sector to create the bulk of our jobs. We have a regulated market and significant and vibrant State sector which the Government wants to support. However, we want to use the resources of the semi-State agencies, as we look at the resources of the State in general, to one purpose now, namely, the economic regeneration of the nation.

I hope I have responded to many of the points made. I regret I missed Deputy Fleming's contribution. However, we will no doubt have many opportunities in the future to test out all of these matters. The Government and I are happy to have any decisions made stress tested in committees of the House or in plenary session in this Chamber.

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