I move:
That the Dublin Gas Order, 1966 proposed to be made by the Minister for Transport and Power and laid in draft before Dáil Éireann on the 5th day of July, 1966 under Subsection 4 of section 10 of the Gas Regulation Act, 1920, be approved."
Gas undertakings generally operate under special Acts which authorise them to manufacture and distribute gas in certain specified areas and which impose certain controls on their finances. Modifications to these special Acts may be made by order under section 10 of the Gas Regulation Act, 1920. Before an order of this kind is made, it has to be laid in draft before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Houses of the Oireachtas may, by resolution, approve the draft order in the form submitted or they may approve it with modifications or additions. When such approval is given I may make the Order in the form in which it has been approved.
The Alliance and Dublin Consumers Gas Company have applied to me for a special order. The objects of the proposed order are to enable the company to raise £500,000, by borrowing, to increase fourfold the amount of revenue that they may allocate for replacement or renewal of plant each year—at present the limit is £26,000 a year—and to increase similarly the limit to the total amount in the funds which can be set up for such purposes —at present the limit is £260,000— to use more of their lands for the manufacture of gas and for ancillary activities and to acquire, by agreement, further land for other purposes and to take over, jointly with Calor Gas Ireland Limited, the interests of G. Anderson Ltd., 11 Merrion Square, Dublin, in a number of the smaller gas companies in Ireland.
Notice of the proposed order was published in Iris Oifigiúil and in a daily newspaper.