Book review: Selling out? – privatisation in Ireland / by Paul Sweeney. Dublin: TASC/New Island, 2004.

Abstract

Over the last fourteen years the Irish government has withdrawn entirely from direct public provision in sectors such as banking, food, insurance and telecommunications. The wave of privatisation and rationalisation that has been at the heart of this pattern of withdrawal is set to continue with a host of key decisions to be made about the future ownership and structure of sectors such as airports, aviation, buses, electricity and gas. Given the strategic importance of these sectors in an economy where improving international competitiveness is the cornerstone of much economic policy it is surprising that questions concerning privatisation and public enterprise have received little attention in terms of published critique and analysis. Paul Sweeney’s Selling Out – Privatisation in Ireland? is therefore a welcome and timely contribution to the debate about this important aspect of public policy.