Free market economy waits for the lights to go out

ARTICLE 45 of our constitution states that “the operation of free competition shall not be allowed so to develop as to result in the concentration of the ownership or control of essential commodities in a few individuals to the common detriment”.

It is interesting therefore to reflect that, as an island nation, our Governments has allowed the demise of Irish Shipping and the privatisation of Aer Lingus — so the cost of importing and exporting is in private hands.

In an emergency, our elected representatives would have to go cap in hand to Michael O’Leary of Ryanair and give him as much of our money as he wanted. While the nation’s health must be viewed as essential, Mary Harney is engaged in privatising as much of it as she can before she loses her job.