Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will have any engagement with the Troika during their October quarterly review; if so if he will give details of his involvement; the key items on his agenda for discussion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28654/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It is my intention to meet with the troika delegation during its fourth quarterly review along with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, and senior officials from both Departments.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I can confirm that the figure of €2 billion emerged from the negotiations between the two parties in the programme for Government. The IMF publicly called for State asset sales of €5 billion. That was the figure that confronted the Minister for Finance and myself when we opened discussions with the troika. The troika wanted to write a €5 billion figure into the last agreement, and we insisted on a general statement of ambitious targets.

Important as the quantum of money is, it is more important to decide how we will use the money. The Government is committed to deleveraging some money. This will be an important part of our interaction with the troika. Deleveraging will allow us to reinvest resources in the next round of job creation. We want to give a clear message to the troika and to all our international partners that we must grow our economy out of the hole in which the previous administration left it.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister mentioned the comprehensive spending review. Will he be discussing that review when he meets the troika? He has said he will not publish the review before budget day, in early December. Will the Minister discuss it with officials from the EU, the IMF and anyone else who comes under that umbrella, notwithstanding the fact that he will not disclose the review figures to the House? While the spending review may not be fully completed at this stage, the Minister must have a general picture of where he is. I do not think the troika would be happy to go home without discussing the comprehensive spending review. What details will the Minister disclose to the troika that he will not disclose to the House?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Deputy is right when he says the comprehensive review of expenditure is not completed. I am currently engaged in bilateral discussions and I do not want to pre-empt further questions which have yet to be reached.

I want to find a mechanism that would allow a greater debate in the House on this matter. I will be bringing proposals to Government to ensure there is engagement on the Estimates that is different from the traditional way, where we debate Estimates well into the year when a portion of the money is already spent.