andMr. P. Barry asked the Taoiseach if he gave an assurance to the ICTU that no part of the public sector will be handed over to private enterprise.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Sector Transfer.
1.
Dr. FitzGerald
In the course of a recent meeting with the Executive Council of the ICTU, in response to a request for clarification of the nature of the contribution to be made by the private sector to the Government's Investment Plan 1981, I explained that this contribution would be confined to funding capital projects and did not cover the transfer of services to the private sector.
I take it that the assurance applies to all existing State agencies and that where services are provided the bodies providing them will be under majority State control?
I am not quite clear about the exact implication of the Deputy's question. As a general principle, my and the Government's activities at the moment are directed towards endeavouring to ensure that the various bodies in the State sector will be given more freedom, will be encouraged to be more enterprising and efficient in carrying out their statutory mandates rather than any functions being removed from them.
Are there any proposals to contract out, on a contractual basis, to private sector interests some of the services currently undertaken by public enterprises?
Certainly not.
It is just related to provision of capital facilities?
Yes. As far as our investment plan is concerned all that is involved is to endeavour to involve private funds in financing specific projects.
We have heard the use of the word "privatisation" recently——
I have never used that word, both for aesthetic and ideological reasons.
I am glad. I compliment the Taoiseach on it. Are we excluding any possibility of private enterprise taking over any part of CIE? Is that a separate debate altogether?
CIE is a separate debate altogether. The McKinsey Report will be out tomorrow. It is a very special case which everybody will have an opportunity to discuss and debate. There is no intention on anybody's part in the Government to transfer services from the public to the private sector.