asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action the Government have taken to implement the proposals put forward by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe in Recommendation 595 (1970) and 672 (1972) on development assistance for backward countries; and if he will indicate the new initiatives which the Government are considering to improve Ireland's contribution in this humanitarian effort.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Assistance for Backward Countries.
6.
The Ministers' Deputies gave preliminary consideration to these Recommendations at their last meeting in June and will consider the matter again at their September meeting. Pending the outcome of these deliberations, there is nothing we can usefully say.
Accepting what the Minister says about the work of the Ministers' Deputies, the Minister will have no doubt regard to the fact that the question I asked was what action the Irish Government propose to take to increase Ireland's contribution to the undeveloped areas of the world.
Our policy is to increase our contribution according to our resources.
Am I to take it that Ireland's reply to the Council of Europe will be that Ireland is ready to give this increase and encourages the remainder of Europe to make an increased contribution?
There will certainly be an increase and we have an interDepartmental committee examining the nature of it at the moment. One of the problems is that one of the recommendations does not advert sufficiently strongly to the position of capital importing countries of which we are one, and we will seek to get special treatment in regard to the extent of the contribution.
Are we reducing our contribution to the Third World?
Not quite that. It is a question of levels.
We are reducing the level?
We are increasing our contribution. It is a question of maintaining a balanced level.
7.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware of the concern in County Waterford at the special service charges being levied by the ESB; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
8.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware of the concern in County Waterford at the high level of charges by the ESB for rural electrification connections to farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together.
Quotations for electricity supply are based on the cost of making supply available and are calculated in accordance with fixed rules which are applied uniformly throughout the country.
The Government have always been concerned to ensure that within practical limits electricity is available at reasonable charges to all those desiring to take it. A comprehensive review of rural electricity charges was carried out in 1968 as a result of which the Government arranged for a reduction in the higher special service charges, in some cases by as much as one-half to two-thirds. The reductions then arranged applied to existing as well as future consumers. The present position is that any rural householder who is asked to pay a special service charge is in fact paying only about one-quarter of the recurring cost of keeping electricity available to him at all times.
The question of rural electrification was again examined last year following which the Government approved a programme of expenditure of £18 million on rural electrification during the four years ending 31st March, 1975, towards which the State is making available a subsidy of £10 million. This is the maximum that can be made available in present circumstances and compares with a subsidy of £17 million paid towards expenditure of £49 million on rural electrification in the 25 years to 31st March, 1971.
I dealt very fully with the question of rural electrification in my Second Reading speech on the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill, 1971, which gave statutory authority to the Government's proposal. I might add that the reduced terms arranged in 1968 are being continued in the new programme.
Is the Minister aware that the charges for rural electrification connections and the special service charges put this service out of the range of poor people who just cannot pay these charges? That is a fact. Poor people in isolated areas cannot afford to have electricity supply.
I am well aware of the problem but there is the very realistic fact to be taken into account of the annual loss on rural electrification of £3¼ million to the ESB.