Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Yesterday on the Order of Business speakers on the Government side raised the question of the additional costs to people of the NCT. Senator Feighan raised this issue a few months ago when he said the testers were under pressure to fail more cars in order to generate more income. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, is considering privatising speed camera operators on a similar basis. We have seen the result of the privatisation of parking control in Dublin, its cost to drivers and the officious and unfriendly way in which it is being implemented. It would be very helpful, particularly for the Government side, if we had a discussion on the cost of privatisation to the consumer. It would allow us to see the direction in which the Government is heading and where market forces are leading us. It might be of assistance if the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, came to the House for that debate in order that he could make a contribution.

The issues we are considering currently make one wonder who is in charge and what will be the outcome of the various decisions being made. One Minister is going to drive a motorway through the Hill of Tara, while another is going to smash up three airports with one blow. There was a time when Fianna Fáil backbenchers would defy the whip if somebody interfered with one airport. Now, however, one can bury three of them and everybody just takes it and blames the Progressive Democrats. Who is in charge——