[ShakerMaker]

Well, our idealogically driven neo-liberal government has set up a committee chaired by a staunch neo-liberal (Colm McCarthy) to look into privitising what's left of our semi-state sector.

What's everyone's opinion on the idea of privitising state companies? Personally I'm totally opposed to it. Privitisation made a mess of Telecom Eireann and could make a mess of ESB and Bord Gais. You just don't sell success.

What does everyone think?

[MadasHell]

I agree to an extent. The semi states need massive reform and the relationship with the state needs to be clearer. Ideally semi states should perform like private companies without the greed factor. Obviously they should be self sufficient and provide dividend to the shareholder (minister,exchequer, society). Policy can be driven by these bodies ie broadband, public tranport etc. They should not (as appears to be the case in some organisations) a method of reducing the live register unless the workers are needed and should not be for the workers benefit. Also work practices, pay and conditions should be brought into line with the private sector. All the boards should be abolished with a chief executive reporting directly to the minister concerned.Competition where practicable should be encouraged. I agree eircom was a disaster but like all matters in Ireland ( mobile licence, commercial radio and tv, port tunnel, national conference centre, national stadium etc etc etc etc) incompetence,influence and parish pump played its part.

[Simon]

There are certain utilities that need to remain with the state, and if we are to privitise parts of the public service then we have to look at the success and failures of similar projects in other EU countries.

Certainly, as an example when the stgovernment deregulated things like taxi's it has been a disaster instead of a solution, taxi prices have not dropped for the consumer and regulation is poor.

I dont trust either major party to get anything right at this stage

[Simon]

Just listening to theradio there.

I think there are good grounds to privitize 2FM.

They are more a commercial than national information broadcaster, and with their frequency and range, would make a lucrative proposition for a commercial readio company.

Radio 1 do the public broadcast service, and with the high cost of presenters etc seling 2FM may be an idea worth looking at.