Seamus Kirk
Question:7 Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is represented on any groups preparing for the NewERA proposal. [20300/11]
View answerThursday, 14 July 2011
Questions (7)
Oral answers (18 contributions)
The Cabinet committee on economic infrastructure, of which I am a member, has been overseeing the progress of the NewERA initiative in line with the programme for Government commitments. My Department is also represented on the senior officials group on economic infrastructure which supports the work of the Cabinet committee and is charged with preparing proposals for its consideration. I expect the Government to consider the proposals prepared by the Cabinet committee in the coming weeks.
I thank the Minister for that information. I am pleased he and his officials are involved in that committee. The Minister told Deputy Boyd Barrett that we have to pay our way. This programme must be funded, and the Fine Gael proposals clearly state that it would be funded from the sale of State assets. The revised memorandum of agreement with the troika, which the Minister or the Minister for Finance re-signed today, the second time for it to be reviewed since coming into Government, specifically states that it is important to make effective use of our State assets and, where appropriate, dispose of them to help reduce our Government debt. The Minister has signed up to that statement twice since coming into office.
You do not know that.
The Minister should speak through the Chair.
Today's press release made no mention of any change in that. I understand that to be the case and if I am wrong, well and good. I am simply asking where the funding for that proposal is to come from because in the Minister's own words, all these things must be paid for.
I do not answer questions that are not my responsibility. I am sure the relevant Minister will answer that. The infrastructure committee of the Cabinet has done a huge amount of work on this issue. It is crystallising proposals now to go to Cabinet on the establishment of the NewERA proposal. The idea is that it is to be a driver of new jobs into the future. That will be announced in due course, but as of now, no decisions have been made in regard to that. Its funding will be announced at the same time.
I am not sure that I should mention a question that is not in front of me, that is, the contents of the memorandum of understanding. The formal memorandum of understanding that was signed off informally today will not be formally signed off until September when it goes to the principals. It has to go to the board of the European Central Bank, the board of the IMF and the European Commission, but the Deputy will find that it will reflect the programme for Government. As I indicated in informal discussions after the last troika negotiations, there is flexibility for us to engage——
We understand that.
——with the troika on the use of resources that are generated from the sale of State assets.
I am pleased to hear that. The Minister will be aware that I and a number of my colleagues met the troika——
——and I would agree there is room for negotiation and flexibility regarding the agreement.
That answer is astonishing in respect of the NewERA proposal. The Minister said that matters are at an advanced stage. The Taoiseach told me recently in this House that neither he nor the Cabinet had had sight of the Cahill report with which I am sure the Minister is familiar. It deals with the proposal to strip the ESB of its transmission assets and move them——
I have to remind the Deputy of the question.
It is not even under my remit.
As the Minister is well aware, the Cahill report suggested that would be a costly and perilous venture.
The question is whether the Minister is represented on any groups.
How could the Minister's propositions around NewERA be at such an advanced state if it is the case, as the Taoiseach told me in this House, that neither he nor the Cabinet had seen the Cahill report? Will the Minister urge his colleague, the Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, or take the initiative himself, to publish the Cahill report and put that information into the public domain?
I will not answer any questions that are outside my function and responsibility. It is a matter for the Deputy to table a question to the appropriate Minister. All I have indicated is that the Cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure, of which I am a member, has discussed and is crystallising the NewERA proposals that will come to Cabinet in due course. When they are before Cabinet, it will make decision on them, they will be published and all the information the Deputy needs will be available at that stage, not now because it is not available now.