Paul Nicholas Gogarty
Question:101 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the Government’s policy with regard to the future development of ESB. [25758/04]
View answerThursday, 21 October 2004
Questions (107)
Written answers
My predecessor, Deputy Dermot Ahern, indicated that, in any consideration of the future of ESB, he was strongly opposed to the privatisation of the transmission and distribution systems which, in his view, are critical national assets and should remain in State ownership. He also stated that he was opposed to any privatisation which would result in a private monopoly or near-monopoly in the power generation sector and he confirmed that the privatisation of any part of the company was not on his or the Government's agenda. I can confirm that this remains my position also.
The ESB group of unions, GOU, aspires to increase its current 5% shareholding in the company to 19.9%. Government policy on employee share ownership plans is clear. Any increase beyond the employees' current 5% would have to be in the context of a significant transaction and no such transaction is envisaged. Notwithstanding that, the employee shareholding issue, along with pay, pension fund deficit, and organisation and industry change, is now the subject of the ongoing talks process established under the Labour Court recommendation of 19 July 2004 aimed at resolving the current industrial relations matter in ESB. Until the Labour Court process reaches a conclusion it would be inappropriate for me to engage in any public discussion on the future development of ESB beyond what I have stated here.