Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I like to believe that when the Minister came to office - this may be wishful thinking on my part, but perhaps he will indulge me - he would never have imagined himself as being responsible for butchering the public service, for protecting the people at the top of that service in a very calculated and deliberate way or for selling off State assets. I am sure he will concede that Bord Gáis is a very successful company. It is self-financing and - in common with the ESB - it has consistently returned a dividend to the State. By any standard, the energy sector is both sensitive and strategic in nature. I imagine the Minister and I can agree on that fact. I am of the view that the Government is making a very big mistake in selling off Bord Gáis Energy. This is a decision it will live to regret. The great value of energy utilities is the fact that they are integrated entities.

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