Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure that Iarnrod Éireann will be maintained as a publicly owned transport company into the future. [16849/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Review Group on State Assets and Liabilities in its report considered the possible disposal and part-disposal of the CIE companies. In their report they stated that "having regard to the unavoidable losses inherent in maintaining a nationwide railway and uneconomic urban and rural bus services, disposal or part-disposal of the main CIÉ companies is not a realistic short-term option." The Government has agreed the shape and scale of the asset disposal programme to be pursued as a commitment under the EU/IMF Programme and as provided for in the Programme for Government. Iarnród Éireann is not included in that programme and I have no plans to alter its status as a publicly owned transport company.