ESB should not be sold, says chief
Speaking after his address to the Leinster Society of Chartered Accountants lunch in Dublin’s Conrad Hotel, he said the ownership of the ESB (now called ESB Electric Ireland) “is a matter for Government; but if the Government takes the decision to sell in full, or in part, we’ll implement it and comply fully”.
He said that any break-up of the ESB — the McCarthy report suggested the break-up and partial sale of both the ESB and Bord Gáis — would create more uncertainty in the energy marketplace. However, he added that if the ESB was to be sold, it should be done so as a sole entity and not broken up beforehand.
