Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)

Deputy Ellis was not invited. None of his party or none of Fianna Fáil showed up. They should remember that.

My party did not want to be selling State assets. I make no bones about it. What we are trying to do is create jobs for the people of the country. As Deputy Doyle correctly pointed out, we are trying to stop the emigration of a generation. It is a profound mess.

On the sale of State assets, we should look at forming a way in which we would have an option to repurchase them in future. It is a time of distress for the nation. We are not as bad as the Greeks, who are selling €50 billion in state assets and who have a brief window in which to do so. I am delighted to hear there is no fixed deadline as to when we must sell these assets. If there is a possibility of selling them with an option of buying them back again, I would welcome that and I would encourage the Minister to look at that.

This is about jobs and I am happy to see that €1 billion is being pumped into this area. I would also encourage that some money from the National Pensions Reserve Fund be put into creating jobs here, especially for the younger generation.

However we are conducting this sale, we need to look at protecting those working in these institutions. That must be at the heart of every decision made.

See this speech in context