asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he can state what steps, if any, will be taken by his Department to ensure an electricity supply to Lucan and district.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - LUCAN ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.
It is not for my Department, but for Lucan and district to take steps to supply itself with electricity. If there is any way in which my Department can help, I will be glad to consider it.
Mr. BYRNE
May I ask the Minister whether he is aware that the Convent schools will also be left without electricity and water? In the interests of public health, may I ask him to make some recommendations to the Local Government Department to see that this school is not left without water?
I presume the Deputy is alluding to the closing down of the power-station at Lucan, which supplied the Lucan Tramways?
Mr. BYRNE
Yes.
And which, without having statutory power to do so, had, in fact, supplied light to certain places in the neighbourhood of Lucan, and which, I understand, in two cases had been in some way responsible for the supply of water. I did not know that the Convent was included in these cases. The Deputy, as a remark on his further question shows, is quite well aware that it is not a matter for my Department but a matter for the Department of Local Government. I am not clear whether the Deputy is really asking that that Department should be asked to put pressure on the Commissioners in this city to do something which, in their judgment, they decided would be unwise in the interests of the ratepayers.
Mr. BYRNE
As the question of public health will arise later, owing to the school and the Convent being left without water, may I ask some Minister to state if something will be done in the matter in the interests of public health?
Arising out of the Minister's answer, may I ask, as this is a matter relating to a railway, does it not come within the scope of his Department, and, if it does, could he not arrange that a longer notice of a shutting-down of a concern of this kind should be given? A week is altogether an inadequate time for the inhabitants who had been getting in their supplies of electricity, to make other provision. If a month were given, they would have some chance of doing so.
This is a matter of a railway or a tramway in one respect, but it is also a question of a tramway company, without statutory authority, supplying light to certain places. That is obviously not a matter for me. If Deputy Cooper would guarantee the shareholders against further losses, which the receiver of the company says will accrue to them by keeping open, I am sure they will consider the question of giving a longer period than a week.
That is not the function of Deputy Cooper.
Nor of the Minister for Industry and Commerce.