Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has moved any further towards a decision on which State assets to sell under the EU-IMF deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37391/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The EU/IMF Programme for Ireland contains a commitment that the Government will outline methods to raise funds through disposals of State owned assets.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to finance investment in specific areas of economic infrastructure from the proceeds of the sale of certain non-strategic State Assets.

The Government has already demonstrated its commitment with regard to State Asset disposal by its decision to proceed with the sale of a minority stake in the ESB as an integrated utility. That process, involving a full evaluation of the optimum approach to be taken to the sale of a minority stake, is being progressed by a group co-chaired by my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The Group will report back to Government in the coming weeks.

A separate Group, representing my Department and other relevant Departments and NewEra, and chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is evaluating the approaches to developing a programme of disposal of non-strategic State Assets. The Group will also report back to Government in the coming weeks.

The Government is continuing its discussions with the Troika of EU, IMF and ECB on the scope for utilising proceeds from any future disposal of assets to invest in economic renewal. The Government will consider its approach to the divestment of State assets on receipt of the report of the inter Departmental Group.