Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister's brief, general and non-specific introductory remarks. The Minister introduced the issue of the sale of State assets. We are talking about the sale of strategic State assets such as the ESB, EirGrid, Bord na Móna, Coillte and Bord Gáis. Will the Minister confirm that no figure for the sale of State assets was included in the original EU-IMF agreement? The agreement was merely to carry out a review of the efficiency and effectiveness of State companies. That review was concluded earlier this year and published in the McCarthy report.

The figure of €2 billion for State assets was included in the programme for Government when the Labour Party signed up to the Fine Gael NewERA programme. That figure does not feature in the quarterly review. The Minister, who is a shareholder in these State assets, is taking the initiative in introducing the figure of up to €2 billion for State assets.

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