Efforts to avert a strike at ESB get underway today.
Management and unions at the company will hold talks on the 1.6 billion euro hole in the pension fund.
Strike notice is due to be served on the ESB tomorrow.
Unless there is a breakthrough, we could be facing power cuts a from December 16th.
Yesterday the energy Minister Past Rabbitte said its hard to see anything that would justify a pre-Christmas strike at the ESB.
Minister Rabbitte said there's 'no risk' to the pension scheme, which he says will be rebalanced by 2018 with adequate provision already in place for any ESB workers retiring between now and then.
He said he believes good sense will kick in and the lights will remain on.
