Privatisation: Eircom/Broadband,AerLingus/Shannon- ESB next?

People moaning about Shannon who agreed with privatisation should be ashamed. This is the natural consequence of privatisation just as the asset stripping and under-investment in Eircom was. Aer Lingus can just as easily get rid of its Dublin routes. The nonsense about the State and Ryanair combining voting power is really sickening. Majority shareholders cannot direct the actions of a company to act in their best interest rather than the interest of the Company. It is illegal.

It seems that the semi-state bodies are able to scare the Government into privatising them against the national interest by combining calls for expensive investment with a difficult workforce. Maybe if the Government had the nuts to make the necessary investments and take on the unions we would not have to jettison control over critical infrastructure.

What will be next? The most critical one yet - the ESB??? How will Eamon Ryan implement his policies then??

Under EU law it is much easier to privatise than to nationalise. How many times will we travel down this one way road to disaster??

[FutureTaoiseach]

I don't think you can really compare Aer Lingus with ESB/Bord Gáis/Bus Eireann etc. The key difference is that Aer Lingus does not provide infrastructure needed by its competitors. I support the privatisation of ESB, Bord Gáis and Bus Eireann. I believe that Shannon should not have all its eggs in the one basket. It is too dependent on Aer Lingus. They need to look for new partners. Hopefully the talks with Cityjet will bear fruit. Aer Lingus are still going to provide the routes to Gatwick and Stansted I understand. I don't think Aer Lingus will give up the Dublin routes - the regional market is far bigger. I think this decision may in part have reflected frustration with the antics of the unions at Shannon over the yr. They will know better next time.

I don't think you can really compare Aer Lingus with ESB/Bord Gáis/Bus Eireann etc. The key difference is that Aer Lingus does not provide infrastructure needed by its competitors. I support the privatisation of ESB, Bord Gáis and Bus Eireann. I believe that Shannon should not have all its eggs in the one basket. It is too dependent on Aer Lingus. They need to look for new partners. Hopefully the talks with Cityjet will bear fruit. Aer Lingus are still going to provide the routes to Gatwick and Stansted I understand. I don't think Aer Lingus will give up the Dublin routes - the regional market is far bigger. I think this decision may in part have reflected frustration with the antics of the unions at Shannon over the yr. They will know better next time.

Whatever way Aer Lingus act it will be for commercial reasons and not in furtherance of the national interest (other than value of AL shares) or in furtherance of Government policy. If the actions happen to come out in the national interest then that is a fluke.

The important thing is that the system is only designed to serve the monetary interest of shareholders. The Aer Lingus move to Belfast and the broadband shambles are classic examples of how the national interest is left blowing in the wind after privatisation.

[qtman]

What will be next? The most critical one yet - the ESB??? How will Eamon Ryan implement his policies then??

It is not FF policy to privatise the ESB.
It is not GP policy to privatise the ESB.

Why are you talking about privatising the ESB?

[jerryp]

Have you spoken to the PD's about this ?

[Insider2007]

What will be next? The most critical one yet - the ESB??? How will Eamon Ryan implement his policies then??

It is not FF policy to privatise the ESB.
It is not GP policy to privatise the ESB.

Why are you talking about privatising the ESB?

If you think FF is not working towards privatisation of the ESB then you don't know what is happening in the ESB. They have been told to prepare. So have Bord Gais. Internal reforms have been going on to ensure they are ready for when the government announces the decision.

The ESB is looking for major investment. The arguments for privatisation will be aired soon. Shortsighted book-balancing could lead to more disasters. People should acknowledge the results of privatisation so far and should not take their eye off the ball.

[Defeated Romanticist]

Keep the grid in public ownership, split the cont up and PRIVITISE, PRIVITISE PRIVITISE!

Keep the grid in public ownership, split the cont up and PRIVITISE, PRIVITISE PRIVITISE!

Keeping the grid in private ownership is not going to stop any disasters. This is not a communications network and applying communications technology logic is just wrong. Generation is where the problems are going to be.

[jerryp]

Keep the grid in public ownership, split the cont up and PRIVITISE, PRIVITISE PRIVITISE!

I presume the spelling is a product of a privatised education !