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State Assets

McCarthy heads group to check state assets

Board will look into efficiency of assets such as RTÉ and an Post.

COLM McCARTHY WILL head a body to examine the efficiency of State assets, the Minister for Finance announced today. The group will recommend how to better use resources or say if they should be sold off.

Mr McCarthy, a lecturer at UCD’s school of economics, previously headed the ‘Bord Snip Nua’, which compiled a list of recommended cuts to public spending.

Among its suggestions, that group recommended cutting 17,300 jobs from the public service, and a 5% cut in social welfare.

A preliminary list of the assets to be reviewed includes the Dublin Airport Authoritiy, Irish Rail, RTÉ, an Post, and a number of Irish ports. They can also review the regulation of those assets.

The group also includes Donal McNally from the Department of Finance, and Alan Matthew, Professor of European Agricultural Policy at Trinity.

It will present a report on its progress to Minister Lenihan before the end of the year, and has already begun its work.