So what about all that State involvement in the economy? I would like to suggest some basic ideas for a revved debate about State-owned enterprises. Here we are in a so-called post-ideological era, when arguments about State ownership of the means of production and unbridled capitalism are supposed to be old hat. This is a pragmatic time, we are told, where the skill required of political leaders is sound public management, not that of whipping up ideological rhetoric. We might reasonably expect some openness and pragmatism about State enterprises.A first idea: the ownership by the State of commercial enterprises usually has nothing to do with social justice. The involvement of the State, even at a remove, in Cablelink, ESB shops or Internet service providers does nothing to assist the poor, increase equality or foster social inclusion. This should be obvious.Second, a counterbalance. Community pricing ought to be maintained in many instances - requiring, the same price for a phone call, a stamp or a local bus journey - as it does serve social justice. But this does not mean that the particular needs to be State-owned, by monopoly or otherwise. A private bus service can be required to provide socially desirable services with a subsidy explicitly identified and paid by the State. State-ownership doesn't necessarily entail community pricing; community pricing doesn't require State ownership.Privatisation has been and will be a best option for many State-owned enterprises: of Irish Life and Greencore; but also, with the Labour Party in government, of Irish Steel (for one pound); and of local authority mortgages. Now comes the news of another pound-shop privatisations - never called that - are clearly bad, though they are dressed up as great job-saving deeds. The saving of jobs is good, but the saving of jobs at the last moment is not.

The worst price possible, £1, was achieved by the State for Irish Steel. This was no proud social service.Just because some State enterprises are commercially viable does not justify their being in State ownership. Agreed, Aer Rianta and the ESB, among others are to be congratulated for managing their businesses profitably. Agreed, a dividend to the state coffers is not to be sneezed at. However, the fact is that the State, using appropriated tax money, owns assets such as banks, a cable company and hotels. If that ownership is justified simply by there being a return on investment, then what's to stop one's investment manger, choosing stocks and bonds for investment using tax money? The state is in no position to be an investment manager, either for development, capital companies or for blue-chip investments."If it ain't broke, don't fix it," is not a good enough reason not to sell State assets. The appropriation and the holding of taxes should be for the achievement of social goals. The social purpose served by holding the assets of Cablelink or ACC Bank is invisible to me, for one. What is certain is that whatever social purpose is achieved by holding them is much more insignificant than the urgent social purposes of common welfare.For example, the conversion of the State assets of ACC Bank or ICC Bank, through their sale, into good health care facilities, drug rehabilitation facilities, and social housing would serve urgent social goals.How many houses could be built by the proceeds of the sale of Cablelink? Which socialist among us will argue that it is better to maintain ownership of Cablelink than to build houses or drug rehab centres?It is also given that one of the reasons why State enterprises are not sold or put on the stock market more frequently is that the unions are politically powerful enough to prevent such changes. Fair play to them for organising themselves for what they perceive as their members' interests. But that perception must be open to change, given the sources of employment growth in Ireland, and the dismal circumstances that the likes of Irish Steel or TEAM Aer Lingus end up in.In our post ideological age, it should be possible for us to say, and act on, such elementary truths.