Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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50. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that members of the ESB group of unions have initiated a legal challenge against the ESB and the Government regarding the special dividend the company is due to pay to the State next year which the union members allege is unlawful as the payment is based on wrongly prepared accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42520/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am aware of the legal challenge against the ESB, which is, or course, a matter for the Board and Management of the ESB. In terms of Ministerial portfolios, clarifications regarding ESB would be for my colleague, the Minister for D/CENR, in the first instance. That said, I understand that such issues were raised in regard to the distribution of the normal dividend at the AGM earlier this year and that the Chairman of the board proceeded with the meeting, including approval of the accounts and of payment of the normal dividend, on the basis of legal and financial advice that all was in order.