asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will recommend to the ESB that special service charges be terminated when the special service costs have been repaid, and not have such charges continued in perpetuity.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - ESB Special Service Charges.
29.
A special service charge is not, as the Deputy appears to think, related to special extra costs of a "once and for all" kind. The charge is, in fact, a supplement which must be paid in cases where the normal fixed charge portion of the two-part tariff does not yield sufficient revenue to permit the connection of particular premises on an over-all economic basis. The fixed charge, including any special service charge, is required to meet outgoings on interest and sinking fund, depreciation, operating expenses, maintenance and repair and administration. Since the network will be required long after the original equipment is worn out and replaced, these outgoings continue to arise indefinitely.
Fixed charges, therefore, including any special service charge, continue to be payable as long as the premises concerned remain connected to the network.
In certain circumstances, such as the connection of new consumers to a particular extension, the Board may find it possible to reduce or remove the special service charges on existing consumers.
I thought the Taoiseach said he was going to abolish these service charges altogether when he got over to that side of the House.
That was all dealt with very fully by me during a recent discussion in this House.
He broke his promise. You cannot get out of that.
Does the fact that the Government have increased the subsidy from 31st March, 1962, mean that any special service charges in operation before then are now halved?
No; it depends on the nature of the charge. I do not remember the exact figure but I think some 12,000 were reduced or abolished.
It does not mean that they are halved?
Not necessarily.