Shane Ross (Independent)

I thank the Senators for their helpful and provocative contributions to this excellent debate. They have given everyone much food for thought through this valuable exercise.

My view is simple. We face what Mr. Ted Heath called the "unacceptable face of capitalism". This is not a willing buyer and a willing seller negotiating a deal in any sense of the word. This is an imposition on ordinary people that they cannot do anything about due to the monopolistic nature of the contract. It is unacceptable. This particular charge and its nature is not affecting just the ordinary people, but the good people of the Irish Road Haulage Association. These are people who are charged enormous sums of money for going about their business and boosting the Celtic economy. I acknowledge the financial and moral support given to the campaign to open the toll bridges by the group I formed. Its members are the vanguard of the Celtic tiger but are being penalised.

Let us call this what it is. It is not enterprise and it is unacceptable. It is not the Celtic tiger but a monopoly that damages the economy and the people. It must be stopped. Senator Brian Hayes has imagination. I grew tired of listening to the Government saying, "God help us, we cannot do anything about it" or "Awful pity this, but they have us over a barrel and we must accept it". This is complete nonsense. There are all sorts of imaginative proposals that can be tabled and examined such as that proposed by Senator Brian Hayes.

Why will we not examine the possibility of penalising NTR in another sphere? There are many fiscal measures that can be taken. For instance, we could examine the buy-out proposal. Everyone claims it is too expensive to do but they never quote a price. We could offer NTR something else as it is a very fine company in many respects. It does not deal with tolls alone and changed its name from National Toll Roads to NTR to disguise its origins, as its tolling element is unpopular. It deals with waste very well and also deals with broadband and Airtricity. Do not tell me the State can only offer NTR cash. Why can someone in the Department not show some imagination and tell NTR that the State cannot give it €400 million or €500 million but an option on Aer Lingus, Coillte or other semi-State bodies?