Seamus Brennan
Question:60 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Finance the plans, if any, he has to publish a White Paper on the future of the semi-State sector. [17440/95]
Written Answers. - Semi-State White Paper.
I have no plans to publish a White Paper on this subject. The Government's policy regarding the semi-State sector is set out in the document A Government of Renewal. The Deputy will be aware that in recent years this Government and its predecessors have paid considerable attention to the State body sector and there have been a number of important developments in this area viz. the publication of the 1992 State bodies guidelines, the Government's response to the Culliton and Moriarty reports on industrial policy as it related to the commercial State body sector and the recent report of the task force appointed by my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications.
At this stage the most important issues in the commercial State sector are the challenges facing each individual body, which would include some or all of the following: transition from protected State monopoly to competitive business; operating in an increasingly competitive environment; an accelerating rate of technological change; increasing customer demands; an EU "open markets" ethos.
These challenges are best addressed on a case by case basis, through the setting of a commercial mandate in each case and the adoption of a corporate plan, rather than on a broad front, which the publication of a White Paper would involve.