ESB pension row won't affect sale of assets, Howlin claims

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Brendan Howlin, claims problems with the pension scheme at the ESB will not have any impact on the disposal of State assets.

The €1.6bn deficit in the scheme could see workers down tools and go on strike.

However, in the Dáil, Howlin said the issue won't halt the planned asset sale.

"I don't envisage that this matter will have any impact on the disposal by the ESB of its assets, and I'm confident [it] … will proceed as planned."

Yesterday, the ESB group of Unions says the threat of power outages caused by strike action is very real, but that it would not happen during the Christmas period.