Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The decision we have taken in this matter, in the national interest, is that we will retain the ESB intact as a single entity and sell a minority shareholding. We are not going to do it in a loose kind of way but rather in a very considered way. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform have been tasked with the responsibility of working this through, discussing it with the energy regulator and the European Commission and looking at the manner in which a minority shareholding can be sold in the best interests of the country. It will be done in a way which secures the future of the ESB, ensures energy security and contributes to investment in this economy that will get people back to work and the economy moving again.

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