Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

The Government has taken a tremendously businesslike approach in this and other matters. As a successful businessman, Senator Quinn, in particular, will appreciate this. The Minister, Deputy Cowen, and his predecessor, Mr. Charlie McCreevy, have done a fine job in running Ireland Incorporated. The Taoiseach, who is the chief executive officer in this analogy, is performing well, as are his Ministers, who are akin to programme managers.

I take this opportunity to commend the Minister of State on his wise approach to the sale of Office of Public Works properties. He has raised a phenomenal sum of money, sufficient almost to finance the State. The Minister of State showed his generous spirit when he provided a site for a youth centre and crèche facilities for the Lions Club in Roscommon town. The Government is not concerned only with making money. It has a humane face when it comes to projects that are of benefit to people in a particular area.

Public private partnerships are worthwhile and have a role to play in the provision of public facilities. The State should be more proactive in providing facilities for Departments and State agencies. During my tenure as chairman of the former Western Health Board, for example, I sought a grant of some €3 million or €4 million to build new offices in Roscommon. It seems logical that such a project should be undertaken either by means of a public private partnership or through direct State funding. In this instance, however, it was deemed more suitable to rent premises on a five-year lease at €300,000 per annum. This was illogical.

The Minister of State should review all premises rented by the State. I understand the health board in the example I gave was not permitted to raise capital to purchase the building in which its headquarters was located. Instead, it was obliged to pay €300,000 per year in rent. When the former North-Western Health Board took the initiative of building new headquarters in Manorhamilton, it was reprimanded by the Committee of Public Accounts on the basis that it had not attained full permission to proceed. I am sure a cost benefit analysis of that project would indicate that the correct decision was made irrespective of whether the Minister for Finance or Government liked it. It has been a great success.

Why can the NDFA and other financial agencies which manage the pension fund not buy into Aer Lingus? Why is that such a bad idea? We have an investment fund of some €17 billion but can do nothing as we watch a company like Ryanair buy shares in a successful State company. The Government has faith in Aer Lingus, and so too should the investment agencies. The development of the second terminal at Dublin Airport seems an ideal investment route.

Although I should not have been surprised by it, I was taken aback by the recent Green Party attack on the Government. The Minister should respond to allegations made by Deputy Boyle, the Green Party spokesperson on finance. The Green Party should be the last to lecture on unethical investments. On 17 November 2006, it issued a statement on Ireland Online with an allegation that the National Pensions Reserve Fund had made investments in Darfur. It claimed taxpayers would be concerned about such investments. I will give a copy of the statement to the Minister of State. The Green Party has a neck——