Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will publish the draft programme of State asset disposals as recently presented to the European Commission, the IMF and the ECB including the necessary regulatory changes, a timetable for implementation and an assessment of their classification as financial or non-financial transactions. [3796/12]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 264: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will publish a list of State assets presented to the troika which are being proposed for privatisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2729/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 264 together.

The context of the questions is the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) governing the EU/IMF Funding Programme for Ireland, which commits the Government 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.

The MOU provided for a draft programme of asset disposals to be prepared and submitted to the EU/IMF by end 2011 for discussion with the Troika in advance of final decisions being taken by Government on the programme to be pursued. In line with this commitment, the Minister for Finance presented an up-date to the Troika in December 2011, indicating that a part sale of ESB (as previously announced by Government) would be capable of achieving the Government's target for asset disposals. However, it was also indicated that there were a variety of policy, regulatory, legislative and financial issues associated with this proposed transaction which would have to be addressed before any transaction could be initiated but which the Government had not yet had the opportunity to consider.

I do not propose to publish this report given to the Troika. In any event, things have now moved on and the matter has since been discussed with the Troika. While no definitive agreement has yet been reached on the final scale and composition of the programme to be pursued, significant progress has been made in discussions, particularly on the issue of use of proceeds generated, and I would expect the Government to make a final decision on the programme to be pursued shortly, following which details will be published.