asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the steps he is taking to prevent the closure of Gweedore turf burning station, County Donegal.
9.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - ESB Generating Stations.
8.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he has made a decision in regard to the ESB's proposals for the closure of a number of generating stations throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
10.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the position in regard to the proposed closure of a number of peat-fired generating stations in the midlands with particular reference to Allenwood, County Kildare.
11.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he will specify the power stations proposed by the ESB for closure in whole or in part; the extent of the closure in each case; and the dates of the proposed closures.
12.
Mr. Cowen
andMr. Hyland asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the decision, if any, he has taken on the ESB proposals to phase out a number of generating stations in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
13.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he will make a detailed statement on the ESB proposals in his Department in regard to the closure of power stations at Portarlington, Ferbane and Rhode, County Offaly, and elsewhere in the country; if he will reject these proposals; if he originally sought such proposals from the ESB or if the board submitted them without any notice to the Government; and if he supports the idea of curtailing Bord na Móna's activities in exchange for use of American coal for generators of electricity in this country.
14.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he is aware of the very real concern of the people of the midlands, particularly in the towns of Portarlington, Rhode, Ferbane, Kilcormac and throughout the counties of Offaly and Laois, over the ESB plan or strategy study which was submitted to him on the proposed closure of some of the turf-burning generating stations; and, in view of the national importance of retaining the generating of a major portion of electricity from native resources, if he will confirm that he is rejecting this plan.
15.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he will give an estimate of job losses by Bord na Móna, if the ESB proposals are being approved by the Government in relation to electricity generators.
16.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he will outline the full contents of the ESB five-year corporate strategic plan; and if he will confirm that the Government are not going to accept it.
17.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he has evaluated the effect on Bord na Móna of the ESB's proposals for the closure of several peat fuel stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
18.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the location and capacity of the ESB generating stations which the ESB wish to be decommissioned or closed indicating (a) the proposed date of closure; (b) the number of employees at each station; (c) the number likely to be made redundant as a result of closure or partial closure; (d) the location and capacity of the peat-fired stations; (e) the source of industrial peat; and (f) the likely number of Bord na Móna employees who would become redundant in the event of the closure of the peat-fired stations and the dates specified by the ESB.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 18 together.
The strategic plan has been prepared by the ESB itself and on foot of the board's statutory responsibilities. I am considering it against a background on which, I believe, there is no serious dispute, that is, that our electricity prices are high and have been adversely affecting the competitiveness of our economy and jobs in industry. Indeed, before the plan was received I had set up a special inquiry into the reasons underlying the high level of electricity prices and had set very limited deadlines for an interim and final report from this inquiry, A number of the matters raised in the ESB plan will obviously have been addressed by the inquiry on its own initiative.
The strategic plan puts forward proposals for dealing with the comprehensive range of problems which the board perceive as affecting their costs of which excess generating capacity and associated manpower and other expenditures are very significant. Also covered in the plan are administration, accounting procedures, industrial relations matters, consultancy services, general overheads, office development, trading practices and major reorganisation of structures within the board. Since action on certain of these headings has implications for staffing levels, the board's plan also contains proposals for redundancies and consequential financial provisions.
I am subjecting this plan to a detailed examination and it is necessary to complete very comprehensive consultations with the ESB and with Bord na Móna whose activities could be affected by reductions of excess generating capacity. I would like to emphasise that there have been no decisions yet on the ESB's proposals. Since my responsibilities and those of the Government have a wider compass than the responsibilities of the ESB, the final decisions on the plan will take account of all relevant factors, social, regional and strategic, as well as economic. I do not consider that it would be productive or constructive to go into the implications of specific proposals in the plan, including those relating to planned closures, until my examination of the plan and its full implications has been much further advanced. I should say, however, that the fundamental problems identified in the ESB Strategic Plan and the implementation of measures to solve them are primarily for the ESB to tackle itself in the light of whatever general policy guidelines I or the Government may indicate.
It is impossible for us, the large number of Deputies who had put down questions, to deal with this matter because of the manner in which the Minister has treated these questions. Specifically, in Question No. 11, I asked if the Minister would specify the power stations proposed by the ESB for closure in whole or in part, the extent of the closure in each case and the dates of the proposed closures. Why did the Minister not give that information? This House and the public at large are entitled to have that information given to us here as elected public representatives. We are not expected to crawl around back streets trying to find the information surreptitiously. We are entitled to this information. I put down a parliamentary question and I have been blocked from getting the information by a stratagem of the Minister. Naturally, Deputies will put down questions on matters such as this because they concern many parts of the country. As spokesman on Energy for the Opposition I am entitled to be given the information requested in No. 11.
I indicated the position to the Deputy last night after he had made a request that I should lay the plan containing all this information in the Library. This is a report prepared by the ESB and it is confidential as far as the board are concerned. The ESB prepared it for their internal use. I indicated to the Deputy that I will consult with the board to try to have it laid on the Table of the House so that Deputies can peruse it carefully before the debate on this subject will be resumed next week. I cannot go further than that now. The Deputy will accept that there is a certain amount of autonomy vested in these bodies. This is an ESB plan, not a Government one — if it were a Government plan I would be in a different position. Then it would be a matter solely for me whether I should have it published. It has not been published although there may have been selective leaks from the report which reached the newspapers. It has not been published and as it is not my document the Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me unilaterally to decide to publish it.
Will the Minister not press the ESB to have it published? The debate referred to by the Minister will be resumed tonight, by agreement, and it would make Deputies' contributions much more to the point and less speculative if the document could be made available this afternoon.
I told the Deputy yesterday that I was favourably disposed towards that course of action. However, I have not reached a decision on the matter, or, I should have said, I have not obtained a decision on the matter, but I will seek to have a decision as quickly as possible.
Will the Minister agree that as a matter of general principle it is most unsatisfactory that a document of such considerable importance to many places in the country should be selectively leaked by those who have a vested interest in doing so? Does the Minister not agree that the way to overcome that type of partial and selective leaking would be to publish the document?
That is one way.
Is it not the only way?
There is also the possibility of taking action to prevent future leaking of such information.
Since members of the staff of the ESB have given out information on this matter, would not the appropriate action for the Minister be to ring up the chief executive or the chairman of the ESB and say the report must be published this afternoon?
I have indicated already that I am prepared seriously and favourably to examine the laying of this document on the Table of the House for the perusal of Deputies.
I will give Deputy Gallagher the opportunity to ask a question.
I indicated only late last night that I would consider this course of action in response to a question raised by Deputy O'Malley and I think it is a little unreasonable of him to expect to have the matter totally finalised by now, less than 24 hours later. However, I have indicated that I will consider the matter seriously.
In view of the fact that the Minister has lumped 11 questions together, can the supplementaries be carried over to tomorrow?
That cannot be done.
You should allow this.
I have no authority to allow it. It so happens that there will be a one-and-a-half hour debate this evening which will be followed by a further one-and-a-half hours next Wednesday and this will give a reasonable opportunity of teasing out this matter.
(Interruptions.)
If the Minister is serious about this, he will permit the supplementaries to be taken tomorrow. He has kicked for touch.
On a point of order, I would draw your attention to the fact that Question No. 17 relates to Bord na Móna and to an evaluation of the economic effects on that body. It has nothing to do with power stations at Gweedore or Allenwood but in order to avoid dealing with it the Minister has lumped the questions together. I suggest that this is an abuse by the Minister of this method of dealing with questions.
I dealt with that in my reply.
We would have had more time to deal with these questions if there had been a more reasonable approach to Question Time since 2.30 p.m.
Will the Minister meet me personally to discuss the question of the Gweedore station, which is unique?
I have already had lengthy discussions on the matter with Deputy McGinley and I will be happy to extend a similar courtesy to the Deputy.
Thank you.
Mr. Cowen
The Chair mentioned earlier that we had dealt with only three or four questions in 45 minutes. Here we have a very important question concerning the closure of generating stations.
There are three hours to deal with it.
Mr. Cowen
Eleven questions on this very important matter are being taken together and we have had only five minutes to deal with them.
There will be three hours today and next week. The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper. Deputy De Rossa has been given permission to ask a question on Private Notice.