Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is probably the first opportunity many of us here have to discuss the sale of a major State asset. The fascinating aspect of previous arguments is that people said we were selling a strategic asset. A strategic asset is an asset such as railways, gas or electricity lines. Unfortunately, we sold a strategic asset, our telecommunication lines, when Eircom was privatised several years ago. I have no problem with the sale of this asset. From a business perspective, from where I come, when one is in financial difficulty and the wolf is at the door, one must always examine actions one can take to keep the business going.

The money from the sale of this asset is crucial, but the most important question is how we will use the money to be generated from this sale. I welcome the negotiations that happened a couple of years ago when the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, in negotiations with the troika secured agreement that 50% of the proceeds from the sale of assets would be used for job creation in the country. That is the key point. Ireland's major asset is its people and the most important thing we can have for the people is work. That is why I hope the Minister will argue further that we allocate more of the funding for strategic job creation.

I always look at the small end of job creation. While it is lovely to see the capital projects going on such as the provision of road infrastructure at Newland's Cross, I am a firm believer in the small construction company that may have three or four people working for it and which needs to be helped in some way. If we can use the money to provide a stimulus for house improvements, extensions or improving the energy efficiency of houses through a tax rebate or by increasing grants, it will stimulate the construction industry, taking people who are long-term unemployed off the dole queues. It will also target the black economy. By giving sufficient tax relief or grants to people to invest in their own properties there is a real chance of doing this.

I have heard Sinn Féin speak before about not wanting to sell any national asset. Viridian which may be one of the main bidders for this company is a Northern Ireland-based company operating in the free market. It was part of Northern Ireland Electricity which was privatised a number of years ago, yet I have never heard anyone from Sinn Féin from the North of Ireland jumping up and down about re-nationalising Viridian. I find it extraordinarily strange that its Members can come in here and be highly critical of what the Minister is doing on the sale of this asset and not jump up and down in Northern Ireland where a former state asset was privatised. They are not talking about re-nationalising it again.

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