‘Fine Gael would privatise health, outsource public transport’, says Siptu head

The head of the largest trade union has warned that Fine Gael will privatise health services and outsource public transport if it gets a “monopoly of power” after the general election.

Siptu’s Jack O’Connor has also urged Labour to reach out to left-wing TDs for support in order to shore up the numbers so the party can get into Government.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, the trade union president admitted that left-wing parties were too disorganised to form a government this time around.

“In light of the fact that the left in this election is not going to be able to mount a serious challenge for power, then the absolute priority has to be to prevent the right from achieving a monopoly of power in Ireland,” he said.

Fine Gael had planned to raise up to €10bn by selling State assets before the last election, he claimed.

“It could have meant selling anything. The ESB, our airports the land the state owns,” he said.

A Fine Gael government with right-wing TDs or even Fianna Fáil would have “a Tory agenda”, cautioned Mr O’Connor.

“The emphasis will be on outsourcing public transport, on what they call reform, which is another word for privatisation. Minister for Health Leo Varadkar very nearly let the mask slip a few weeks ago when he indicated the possibility of privatisation in the health service and that’s where their heads are. That’s where they see things being done, that’s what they believe.”

The health minister had suggested, in a speech to accountants in November, that private companies may be allowed manage under-performing hospitals under future reforms. The comments were viewed as proposals to privatise health services.

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Ahead of Labour’s national conference this weekend in Mullingar, Westmeath, Mr O’Connor suggested the outgoing junior coalition partner needed to appeal to left-wing TDs to make up the numbers in order to secure enough support to form a Government after the general election.

A recent poll put joint support for Fine Gael and Labour at just 37%, leaving the coalition well short of the numbers needed for a steady government.

Meanwhile, Siptu will today formally decide on whether to support or fund election candidates besides those with Labour. The union’s election fund came to €1.25m over the last decade. The maximum campaign donation per candidate is €1,000 under new election rules.

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