John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 57: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his role in relation to the sale of shares in State companies; if he will outline all companies that have been examined in this process; the way the decision was made in respect of Coillte, Bord Gáis, EirGrid, ESB, and Bord na Móna; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28504/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Under the EU/IMF Programme of financial support for Ireland, the Government is committed to considering options for an ambitious programme of asset disposals, based on the Programme for Government and the report of the Review Group on State Assets and Liabilities, and to preparing a draft programme of asset disposals in this context to be discussed with the Troika in advance of taking final decisions on the programme to be pursued. The Government has already decided that it is prepared to dispose of a minority stake in ESB. It has also agreed that it is prepared, in principle, to undertake further assets sales, but no decision has been taken in relation to any other State assets at this stage.

My Department and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources are jointly chairing an inter-departmental group which is considering the best approach to the sale of a minority stake in ESB, including energy policy, regulatory, legal, financial and economic considerations. This group will report back to Government by end-November with a recommendation. A second group, to be led by my Department, has been established to consider possible candidates for further assets sales in order to inform any further decisions that the Government may wish to make on this matter.