In Search of the Elusive Entrepreneur

This paper analyses recent moves towards privatisation in Ireland. It argues that the origins of privatisation do not rest simply within the state apparatus, perceived as some form of isolated institutional mechanism, but rather in the interrelationship between the state and public sector industry. Moreover, it suggests that privatisation should not be viewed simply in terms of one alternative policy among others but rather as the result of a series of wider processes which are beginning to question the efficacy of an extensive interventionist role. This concern with an extension of the role of the free market has emerged as a central theme within debates which have questioned the viability of macro-corporatist political bargaining arrangements in western Europe. The paper therefore attempts to situate the recent moves towards privatisation within a wider discussion of the problems encountered by macro-corporatist forms of political bargaining.