asked the Minister for Transport and Power why Messrs. Patrick Kane, Stephen Curran, C. McDonough and Patrick Folan and Mrs. Anne Allan, referred to in his letter of 20th November, are being required to pay an excessive charge for Electricity Supply Board connection, although they live in a developed area within twenty miles of Dublin and would use a considerable amount of current on their dairy farms.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - ESB Connection Charges.
33.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a similar question by Deputy Norton on 22nd November last. I have also explained the position at considerable length in my letter of 20th November to the Deputy, to which there is nothing I could add.
Will the Minister not agree that in my letter to him I explained that these people required supply because they ran dairies and it was necessary for them to have machinery for cooling milk? Will the Minister not agree that the suggestion they should use bottled gas was, in the circumstances, ridiculous?
That is a separate question.
Could the Minister tell me how one could cool milk using bottled gas?
I was explaining that bottled gas was available for persons who could not avail of ESB current at the ordinary service charge.
Will the Minister agree that the letter did not refer to the ordinary service charge? These people wanted current for a specific purpose. I explained all that to the Minister. They are not living on the side of a mountain; they are within a quarter of a mile of the ESB network.
The ESB do not make distinctions in the supply of current to the various areas. There is no distinction made anywhere in the country. Supply is based on the amount required to finance the capital cost of the scheme, taking into account the Government subsidy available.
Surely the Minister is aware that, if a big supply of current is being used, the costs should be low? In this particular case, there was a possibility of a big supply being used.
The persons concerned should take into account the whole economics of the scheme and be prepared, having done so, to pay the supply charges.
But they should not have to pay the whole cost for the ESB, particularly in view of the Government subsidy.
Who is the agent for bottled gas?
I shall find that out by tomorrow.