asked the Minister for Transport and Power when electricity supply will be extended to the Cappaboy and Kealkil areas of Bantry, County Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rural Electrification.
45.
I am informed by the ESB that the Cappaboy and Kealkil areas are in the board's Kealkil rural area which under the present programme for the completion of rural electrification is due for development in late 1973. During recanvass of the area all unsupplied householders will be called on and quoted terms for supply. Following completion of the recanvass, supply will be extended to those who accept the terms quoted, with the minimum of delay.
46.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power how much of the £3.5 million extra given in advance to the ESB within the last fortnight to assist their capital programme will be used by the ESB in the Dublin North West rural area, which covers a wide area of North Kildare and South Meath, to reduce the waiting period of applicants for connection.
The additional £3.5 million capital expenditure which the ESB has been authorised to incur covers the board's overall capital programme for generating, transmission and distribution including the rural programme and it is not assignable to any particular element of the programme.
The accelerated rural electrification programme which is now in progress with a target for completion for the whole country by 1975 takes account of old and new houses not yet connected. This programme must be organised systematically to achieve maximum economy in expenditure and hence maximum benefit to the consumers and this inescapably involves further waiting periods in different areas.
With regard to the Dublin North West area, with which the Deputy is concerned, the ESB have confirmed that it is not possible to give any indication of the acceleration of the rate of progress that may be possible in the area until some time after 28th February, 1972, which is the closing date for applicants for subsidised electricity supply in the area.
When all the applications have been received and examined, the ESB will be in a position to settle the time-table for the area. I will ask the ESB to forward particulars of the programme to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
The Minister said at Question Time the week before last that he would be able to give me the information requested which involved an indication of how much of the additional capital sum would be going to this particular area. May I ask him whether this money will be divided up between the different areas and, if so, why he cannot give an individual figure for this area?
I thought I was being very helpful. As soon as possible after the 28th February we will have the exact picture in the country as a whole and in regard to the district in which the Deputy is interested and I will forward the full particulars to the Deputy.