asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if his Department received a recommendation from the Southern Health Board requesting the ESB to refrain from disconnecting electricity supply from families whose only income is social welfare payments until the local community care officer of the Southern Health Board has been contacted first; and, if so, the present position in regard to the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Electricity Supply Disconnection.
2.
Such recommendation from the Southern Health Board was received in my Department. I am not aware that the ESB have been in any way insensitive to the problems of low-income families. In the ordinary day-to-day work of the ESB, there is frequent contact with welfare officers attached to the health boards and with various members of voluntary welfare bodies. Supply is not withdrawn from any customer solely because he is unable to pay due to genuine hardship. While the ESB have no way of knowing if any particular customer is in receipt of social welfare assistance unless so informed by the customer or a welfare agent, the board's policy provides that in respect of domestic consumers, whether in receipt of social welfare assistance or not, who have a genuine case to make on hardship grounds, every effort will be made to ensure that supply is maintained.
Some time ago the ESB furnished to every domestic customer a leaflet explaining their credit policy and requesting customers who experience difficulties in relation to settlement of accounts to call to their local ESB office to discuss payment arrangements. I would endorse this request by the board and appeal to any domestic consumer who has problems with settling his electricity account to call to the nearest ESB office. These officers will, of course, consider sympathetically any representations made to them by community care officers.