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FIANNA FÁIL LEADER Micheál Martin has attacked what he described as “bare-faced lies” from members of the cabinet – particularly those from the Labour Party – about the proposed sale of state assets.
In a vociferous defence, Martin told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that Labour ministers were continually suggesting that the sale of state assets was a condition of the EU-IMF deal reached by Fianna Fáil when this was not the case.
Martin said that although the previous government had asked economist Colm McCarthy to examine the potential for private sector investment in the energy sectors, this was because there was an “absolute need” to ensure that the industry was running efficiently.
The government yesterday announced plans to raise €3 billion through the sale of parts of ESB, Bord Gais, Aer Lingus and Coillte – with €1 billion being reinvested in job creation, and €2 billion to be put towards payment of the national debt.
“It’s important we have an honest debate about this… and it’s colouring the entire atmosphere in which this is discussed,” Martin said. “There’s been two government ministers on this programme, in the last two weeks, telling bare-faced lies about this process.”
Martin said Pat Rabbitte, who was on the same programme eight days ago, had gone unchallenged when he said the original EU-IMF deal required the sale of €5 billion in assets – when this deal had merely committed Ireland to examining whether assets could be sold, and not agreed to their closure.
“Our representatives met with the Troika – and the Troika were very clear in saying to our members that they were not putting pressure on the government to sell state assets,” the former foreign affairs minister insisted.
Labour may be covering its tracks, watching about its backbenchers and the trade union movement maybe, and creating a false construct about this debate.
I sat at the cabinet table… no decision was taken to sell any state assets.
Finance minister Michael Noonan has previously conceded in the Dáil that the original memorandum of understanding did not commit the State to any specific figure in the sale of assets, and that the previous fundraising target of €2 billion came from the sale of state assets.
“I am in favour of and welcome the sale of State assets. There is no blame attached,” Noonan said on October 5.
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I wonder what causes more disruption to air travel, Unions or Terrorists? I’d say Unions!
You’d wonder about SIPTU’s real agenda in all this. That deficit didn’t just happen overnight. It’s as much the workers fault as the company’s. the trustees either put too much trust in fund managers, or took their eye off the ball completely. Personally I think SIPTU are more worried about Croke park than anything else. Using Aer Lingus workers is a smokescreen.
The union guy won’t give up his wages during this dispute! I hope the union looks after these people.
They will, they provide strike pay to their members.
Here we go again! Ryanair will be laughing, counting their profits.
not quite, don’t forget they own just under 30% of Aer Lingus shares as well, strike action won’t do their value much good…
Last time they went on strike Ryanair leased a/c’s and crew to Aer Lingus and Ryanair operated some of their flights, probably just do the same again
Hard to listen to a man who paid himself €1.3 million last year accusing the workers of featherbedding…
The unions have wanted this strike for some time. They get to shut down the country and show how powerful they are. They’re ok with their big wage packets, while they screw the ordinary people of this country. Not nice people!
Hey, idiot, the Union doesn’t decide when people strike, the workers do
Their as bad as the teachers almost for striking
If you become an employee of a semi-state company – as aer lingus was – you are compelled to join their pension scheme. It’s a requirement. If you are required to join the surely the company that insists you Join has an equal responsibility to ensure the fund is properly managed and has a funding plan that is both acceptable and practical? Workers are just fighting for their pension rights.
Spot on Seafra. The comments above blaming “the unions” seem to imply the big boys in Liberty Hall are putting a gun to the heads of their gullible members to force them to strike. It’s the majority of Aer Lingus workers that made the decision and fair play to them for fighting for their pensions.
I reckon the government will introduce a law that will allow companies losing money due to strikes to hire new staff or fire the striking party! they did it in America in the 80s when air traffic controllers striked and shut one half off the country down, the government simply passed a law because because they seen it a potential threat to the economy and fired them all replacing them with the many people that were looking for work at that time.
Please don’t strike I’m flying with them late next month, haven’t had a break in years. I’m living for it :(
For the past 25 years at least it is the same old story with Air Lingus
Yawn yawn
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