Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

We continue to believe the State has an active role to play in the market place. We also recognise, however, the strategic interest of the State does not remain static or fixed over time. What was strategic when electricity was installed across the country in the 1930s is not necessarily strategic now in a competitive all-island market place.

When the current Government took office almost a year ago, it inherited a situation whereby the State was unable to fund itself but instead was dependent on funding from the EU-IMF under a programme negotiated by the previous Government. The work of the review group on State assets and liabilities, under the chairmanship of Colm McCarthy and commissioned by the previous Government, was still in train but was approaching finalisation.

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