Vol. 517 No. 1
54 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the outcome of the consultant's report which she commissioned to independently determine the value of CIE's property portfolio; and the plans, if any, she has to privatise any part of the CIE group in order to capitalise on its property value. [6862/00]
The consultants have completed their work and have submitted their final report to my Department. I will report to Government on this matter and, therefore, will not discuss the findings of the report in advance of its consideration.
The study was undertaken to provide an independent review of the financial contribution which CIE's surplus property portfolio could make to public transport investment requirements. The findings have already been used as the basis for an assessment of CIE's contribution to the investment programme set out in the national development plan. The report does not deal with any issue of privatisation. I have no plans to privatise any part of the CIE group to capitalise on its property value.
The Minister said in reply to one question that it was necessary to rethink how we deliver a public transport service. I cannot prove that the Minister has been thinking. Is there not a point at which one has to move from thinking to doing and decisions have to be made? Does the Minister disagree with her Government colleagues who say the company should be privatised? In view of the latest figures available from the Dublin transportation office that our public transport needs are four and a half times greater than anything in the pipeline it would be folly to dispose of any aspect of our transport related infrastructure simply because we need the funding. Clearly funding is the only constraint we do not have in this area.
The Deputy's question related to the privatisation of the property portfolio.
The Minister's colleagues suggest that is the reason for privatisation.
We are not talking about privatising but about competition and Dublin Bus.
And the failure to privatise.
It is not the basic question.
We are not all Dolly clones nodding our heads at each other around the table. We all have separate ideas about how to do things.
It is like "Bull Island".
Does the Deputy remember all the lovely ideas he had for Cabinet? I do not intend to privatise, I intend to have competition.
We prefer the "Bull Island" version.
I think it is very good.
