Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I am very pleased the Minister has confirmed that these are strategic national assets. How can he square what he has just said about these being strategic national assets with the commitment in the programme for Government that the sale of assets would be non-strategic assets? How can the Minister explain the Government's decision to sell what he has now has declared to be strategic national assets? There was no equivocation about a part sale or whatever - they were not to be sold. How can the Minister explain the Government's decision to part sell the ESB?

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