The Taoiseach has told the Dβil he does not believe the ESB is ready to be sold into the private sector, in apparent contradiction of the economic proposals of his coalition partners, the Progressive Democrats.

He also rejected Opposition claims that the ESRI's quarterly report published yesterday, showed the Government's spending to be €1 billion off target, with fiscal management that was totally unsustainable.

Mr Ahern said the report was in line with Government's budget figures and indicated that fundamentally "the economy is not just performing well but is out-performing most countries in the EU and OECD".

Mr Michael Noonan, the Fine Gael leader said that "under the present administration, pursuing the present policies, the party is over, the kitty is over and the next government is going to be left to pick up the pieces".

Mr Ahern said the economy was moving towards a position of growth of just under 4 per cent this year and higher next year.

The next administration "has to make sure that we continue to manage things as we did in the life of this administration."

He added he believed deputy Noonan, who had had responsibility for the finance brief really wanted "to congratulate me for how I've managed it over the past five years."

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn raised the issue of the sell off of State companies. In its election manifesto launched on Sunday, the Progressive Democrats proposed to raise funds through the sale of State assets such as the ESB.

Mr Noonan, in reference to the PD manifesto, asked if the Tanaiste, Ms Harney was the same person who "12 months ago scuttled the ESB's plans to invest in Poland because, she said, it needed to get its own house in order before it invested in Poland".