Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)

Do not worry, I was around.

The usual suspects all line up to tell us that if only we could do with the ESB, Bord Gáis and others what we did with Telecom Éireann, the economy would be the envy of the world again. It is not true, however, and anyone not living in ideological cloud-cuckoo land should be able to see that. Telecom Éireann was worth €8.4 billion before it was sold off. It had started a State mobile telephone tariff which would today be a massive feather in Ireland's cap had it been maintained. Instead it was broken up and sold off so certain corrupting forces could make a lot of money. A few Fine Gaelers and Labour people did okay out of it.

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