asked the Minister for Energy, arising out of the funds from the EEC for electricity development in disadvantaged areas, if he will favourably consider a claim for inclusion of any house in existence during the original canvass of any area for rural electrification and if he will ensure that supply will be given on the same basis as that on which the other houses were supplied; and if he will give special consideration to the Cark area in Letterkenny and other homes in County Donegal which do not have electricity.
Written Answers. - Rural Electrification.
310.
I am not in a position to say at this stage who will benefit from the EEC scheme.
Last May the Council of Agricultural Minister of the EEC approved a package of measures designed to stimulate agriculture in the less favoured areas of the west of Ireland. One of the measures is an electrification scheme for farms and villages whose inhabitants depend mainly on agriculture. The electrification scheme will be implemented over a ten year period. A condition of the scheme is that the beneficiaries will be required to contribute 20 per cent of the cost.
An outline programme for the various measures in the package, including electrification, has been submitted to the EEC Commission and must be approved before detailed measures can be considered and implemented. When details of the scheme have been formulated the various measures will be published extensively. At that stage it will be open to those who consider that they are eligible to apply for assistance under the scheme.