Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for giving of his time in the House. Unfortunately, we do not agree on this issue. We do not agree on a number of issues, but we will still debate them fairly. The fundamental and ideological move of selling Bord Gáis Energy, fuelled by the austerity agenda of the troika, is the wrong one. There were other options which Sinn Féin put to the Government. The budgetary scenario is linked with the fiscal scenario and the sale of assets could have been avoided. At its national convention in 2012 the Labour Party called for this not to be done. It is not a good day for the State and it is very disappointing that the Bill has been passed. We hope the Government has no further plans to sell off profitable State assets such as this one which was making a profit for the State and should have been kept in State ownership.