Government To Sell Stake In ESB

The sale is part of the agreement made with the troika of EU/IMF/ECB who are providing Ireland with bailout funds to raise money by selling valuable State assets.

No decision has yet been made on what percentage of the company will be sold off, and the government has committed to keeping the ESB a single entity.

Proposals had been on the table to break the company up and sell off some of its more profitable parts while retaining control of the transmission network.

Some unions within the company say they will ballot for industrial action to fight the decision.

Some of the workers in the ESB enjoy some of the best pay and conditions in the public sector.