Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

What this subsection is about is clear. Subsection (3) states that the agency shall provide project management services in relation to any acquisition or disposal of any interest or any asset of the designated body if the Minister who is the relevant Minister requires it to do so. Let us consider the designated bodies. The Electricity Supply Board, Bord na Móna, Coillte Teoranta, Irish Water and Ervia, which used to be Bord Gáis - all very crucial State and semi-State assets in the ownership of the people but on which the troika cast its eyes and was making demands concerning the privatisation of some of these designated bodies or aspects of them and two Governments capitulated to those demands for privatisation. Therefore, I oppose the facilitation of the privatisation of crucial, publicly owned assets. That is what is provided for here.

The Ministers concerned are those who essentially have the control and responsibility for those semi-State organisations. The Bill is providing a blueprint by which crucial public assets can be privatised. The Minister will give an instruction to the agency to provide a project management service for the disposal of crucial assets. We are opposed to any further privatisation of assets that instead should be developed, used and invested in to create better infrastructure and tens of thousands of jobs which is the potential within some of these organisations. We are in favour of new ones being created, such as a new housing agency or something related to the local authorities. Is it not instructive that the Government is talking about bringing back from abroad €6.9 billion of the National Pensions Reserve Fund to invest at the same time it is making provision for the privatisation of crucial public assets in terms of State and semi-State bodies?

We are right to be suspicious of this Government in terms of its motivation in this regard. The right wing basis of this Government leads us to object to any facilitation of further privatisation, which is the purpose of my amendment.

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