asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the quantity of turf supplied by Bord na Móna from their bog at Clonsast to the Electricity Supply Board power station at Portarlington in the year ended 31st March, 1952; (b) the average price per ton received by Bord na Móna for turf supplied from the Clonsast bog to the Portarlington power station in the year ending 31st March, 1952; (c) the estimated quantity of turf remaining on Clonsast bog awaiting delivery to the power station on 31st March, 1952; (d) the quantity of turf in the Electricity Supply Board stockpile on 31st March, 1952; (e) the number of units per annum which it was originally anticipated would be produced by the Portarlington power station, and (f) the actual number of units produced in the year ended 31st March, 1952.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turf Production and Electricity Generation.
I am informed by the Electricity Supply Board that the quantity of turf supplied by Bord na Móna from the Clonsast bog to the generating station at Portarlington in the year ended 31st March, 1952, was 119,752 tons, that the average price paid to Bord na Móna for this turf was 42/7 per ton and that the quantity of turf in the Electricity Supply Board's stockpile on the 31st March, 1952, was 25,664 tons. Bord na Móna inform me that the estimated quantity of turf remaining on Clonsast bog for delivery to the Portarlington station at the 31st March, 1952, was 76,000 tons. I am further informed by the Electricity Supply Board that the number of units per annum which it was originally anticipated would be produced at the Portarlington station was 90,000,000 and that the actual number of units produced in the year ended 31st March, 1952, was 129,000,000.
In respect of (d) of the question, why is not some of this turf sold to local people who may require it, seeing that the Electricity Supply Board do not seem to need it or, alternatively, could steps be taken to sell some of it in Dublin?
They are bringing back turf from Dublin.
We dealt with that.
We did.
There is only something over 100,000 tons in hands and, if the Electricity Supply Board had to substitute that turf by buying American coal, it would cost the consumers of electricity or somebody else a lot more money—some hundreds of thousands of pounds. It would take 50,000 or 60,000 tons of coal to substitute for that turf. On the whole, I think the Electricity Supply Board are wise in stocking up.