In view of what the Taoiseach has just said can he give the House an assurance that the question of the privatisation of a very successful and competitive State company, the Great Southern Hotels, was not discussed at the meeting with ICTU or that they have not given their agreement to such a privatisation in view of less than 100 per cent responsibility of the private sector towards the maintenance and the creation of jobs?

The Deputy is now coming to deal with a particular case.

Any decision in regard to GSR hotels will be announced in due course.

May I ask the Taoiseach, in the light of the clear failure of the private sector to produce the kind of jobs they had been expected to produce, because of some of the factors to which the Taoiseach referred, if the question of the privatisation of the Great Southern Hotels was raised at these two meetings?

That seems to be a separate matter in any event.

It was not raised. One of the areas in which the private sector is producing jobs is the hotel and catering industry and in the tourist trade generally.