Clare Daly
Question:26. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to privatise semi-State companies in the course of 2013. [3055/13]
View answerWednesday, 23 January 2013
Questions (26)
Written answers
The House will be aware from my announcement last February of the shape and scale of the State asset disposal programme that is to be pursued. In brief, the State asset disposal programme that the Government has agreed consists of: the sale of Bord Gáis Éireann’s energy business (but not including BGÉ’s gas transmission or distribution systems or the two gas interconnectors, which will remain in State ownership); the sale of some of ESB’s non-strategic power generation capacity; disposal of the State’s remaining shareholding in Aer Lingus, when market conditions are favourable and in circumstances that accord with Government transport policy and at an acceptable price to Government; after further consideration, and having ruled out the sale of Coillte’s land holdings, the Government has also determined that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte forests will be proposed for sale. It is intended that progress will be made on all of these proposed transactions during the course of 2013, as circumstances allow.