Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Allow me to ask a question. Previously, the Taoiseach informed the House that Colm McCarthy was heading a group to examine the sale of State assets. Will the Tánaiste indicate when the report, whether a work in progress or a final version, of the group will be made available to the House? Will it be made available this weekend before the budget? In the document signed off by the Minister for Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank, there is a reference to the introduction of a fiscal responsibility law which "will introduce a medium-term expenditure framework with binding multi-annual ceilings on expenditure in each area" by the end of July 2011 and to be passed into law by September 2011. There is considerable legal opinion that suggests such a fiscal responsibility law in this country under our Constitution-----

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