Harney calls for review of coalition plans

The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, has called for a renegotiation of aspects of the Programme for Government to allow for greater liberalisation…

The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, has called for a renegotiation of aspects of the Programme for Government to allow for greater liberalisation and further privatisations of State enterprises.

Speaking on RTE's business news last night, the Tanaiste said she would be initiating a review of the programme to pursue market liberalisation from a Progressive Democrat point of view.

The Tanaiste said she believed she was "pushing at an open door" with her Fianna Fail colleagues at Cabinet.

The review, which would follow two years in government this June, will focus on issues such as making transport and Dublin Bus more competitive and possible privatisation of Aer Rianta. In a speech yesterday to the annual IBEC conference, Ms Harney called for bus market liberalisation which would be "more beneficial" to consumers than further State investment.

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She also called for full liberalisation across Europe in transport, aviation, energy and telecommunications.

"Monopolies do not work and we must aim for full competitive provision."

A spokesman for the Tanaiste said that some of the issues which were top of the agenda two years ago had now been overtaken by issues such as housing and transport and to reflect this a review of the Programme for Government was needed.

No review was built into the initial agreement, although it is understood that the negotiators agreed a fresh look would be desirable after a period in office.

The PDs are keen to be seen to initiate the review and the original negotiators, Mr Noel Dempsey and Mr Dermot Ahern for Fianna Fail, and Mr Bobby Molloy and Ms Liz O'Donnell, are likely to begin meetings to work out the detail.