Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

One sometimes hears reservations expressed about democracy in this State. There is a feeling that people ought to have a stake in the country or that the best people, however defined, have to be appointed. I am glad to say we have an egalitarian democracy and people from all walks of life and different levels of expertise can represent us on these bodies. I am very proud, as I believe most of us are, of the semi-State sector. It played a crucial part in the economic development of the country at a time when the private sector was deeply conservative and quite unable to carry forward the development of the country. Many of those involved came from the old order. If one considers companies such as the ESB, Aer Lingus and the Great Southern chain, which was mentioned this morning, RTE——