Vol. 413 No. 2
16 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Energy if he has had discussions with the ESB regarding the installation of a windmill on the island of Inismhicileáin; if he has satisfied himself that this was the most suitable site for the experiment; and if he has further satisfied himself with the price, including VAT, which was charged.
32 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Energy if he will make a statement on the circumstances surrounding the installation of wind-generated electricity facilities on Inismhicileáin by the ESB.
63 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Energy if he will make a statement in relation to (1) the circumstances in which a wind generator was installed on the Taoiseach's holiday island (2) the work carried out to the Taoiseach's holiday home as a result (3) the amounts paid to date and due and the relevant dates involved; and whether he has satisfied himself that unique and special factors justified this particular experiment.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 32 and 63 together.
My Department have already issued a press statement regarding this matter on 18 October 1991. On the same date, at my request, the ESB also issued a full and comprehensive statement giving the full details including the information requested by the Deputies. I can provide copies of both statements to the Deputies if they so desire. In my statement I made it clear that my Department had no input into the decision, nor were they consulted or advised about the matter. The decision to go ahead with the wind power project was taken by the ESB management in 1988. The ESB have assured me that the Inismhicealáin project was at all stages carried out fully in accordance with their standard procedures in relation to expenditure, authorisation of work, cost management accounting and invoicing.
Has the Minister satisfied himself that this was the most suitable site for the experiment in question? It seems extraordinary that with a coastline of some 2,000 to 3,000 miles from Malin Head to Mizen Head, the most suitable site for a windmill experiment — which I fully support — should be an off-shore island. Surely, there are many landheads accessible by road which that could have been chosen to locate the windmill — because regular monitoring is part of the experiment — rather than an island?
As I have indicated to the House, the decision in regard to this wind project was made in 1988. My views on the choice of location are not relevant because I was not involved in any way in the decision.
I am not suggesting that he was involved in any way but I am asking whether he has satisfied himself that Inismhicealáin was the most suitable site for this experiment, regardless of when the ESB decided it should go ahead.
If I had been involved in the decision——
I am not suggesting the Minister was.
The ESB had been involved, and they chose the location to carry out this experiment. I am not an expert on wind energy. I am, however, very anxious to promote sources of renewable energy and I am actively involved in promoting a wind farm in County Mayo, with the assistance of Community funding. I am deeply involved in trying to get that project off the ground following public advertisement of the project last year. The ESB have informed me that the wind energy experiment projects in which they are involved are divided into two categories: one, wind energy potential for off-shore islands and two, a research project into mainland based wind projects. The choice of island was a matter for the ESB and I was not involved in that choice.
Does the Minister accept it was necessary when carrying out tests on the windmill to go to an off-shore island? I would have expected the Minister to satisfy himself about this. The Minister will accept that the public have questioned this because the Taoiseach owns the island in question and the choice of location appears to be odd to many. I thought the Minister would have availed of this opportunity to assure the public that there was nothing wrong with their choice and that it was the correct thing to do. However, the public still question why, out of all the available coastline the ESB chose an unoccupied, not very accessible island owned by the Taoiseach. I think the general public would welcome a statement from the Minister on this matter.
I do not wish to be critical of the ESB but I think they acted imprudently in this matter. I do not think an off-shore island was the wisest choice of location to carry out a wind energy experiment. That is my personal view and I have held it for many years.
I was involved some years ago in advocating a wind experiment on Inis Thiar off the Galway coast when the islands were about to get an electricity system. The late George Colley, the then Minister for Energy, proceeded with the erection of a windmill on Inis Thiar which was never a success. The main difficulty was that whenever it broke down there was the difficulty of gaining access to the island to carry out repairs. This was ten or 12 years ago when wind energy was at the developmental stage and there were a great many teething problems. Happily technology has developed greatly since then and the problems which arose at that stage would not normally arise now. The lesson I would have drawn from those earlier experiments in which the ESB were involved was that an island was not the wisest choice or the most beneficial place for an experiment because of the difficulties of access.
Is the Minister aware of any connection between the ESB's decision to withdraw the wind generating facility from Cape Clear and the decision to install wind generating facilities at Inismhicealáin?
The Deputy has it wrong. The wind driven electricity generator on Cape Clear is, I understand, owned by a private German-based company and it was they who decided to withdraw that facility from the island. They were selling electricity into the ESB grid on the island and, of course, the ESB were supplying the island with electricity from their own generators. There is no threat to the electricity supply to the islanders of Cape Clear because the ESB supply is adequate and there are a number of stand-by generators. The supply is safe and secure. The owner of the wind driven electricity generator decided for his own reasons to withdraw it.
I want to bring this matter to finality. The time for questions is exhausted in any event.
The Minister has expressed his personal view that the decision to locate the experiment at Inismhicealáin was imprudent. Would he indicate the capital cost of installing the unit and its running costs since?
The capital cost, as I have already indicated, is given in the ESB statement, which I will be happy to make available to any Member. The wind turbine on Inismhicealáin cost £30,000 and the cost of installing it was £12,000, the associated expenditure on head office engineering studies amounted to over £110,000 making a total of £166,000.
In view of the number of occasions the Minister struggled to impress us with the low level of research activity into renewable sources of energy, was he taken aback to find that the ESB had been engaging in these projects? He indicated he discovered only in the past two months that they had been engaging in a programme of this nature. Has he resolved the issue of the lack of communication between his Department and the ESB?
I am in communication with the ESB about this matter. As I stated earlier and again today, my Department had no knowledge of this wind experiment project which was being undertaken by the ESB. I was greatly surprised that my Department had not been kept informed.
Has the Minister asked anybody to stand aside?
Would the Minister agree that the expenditure of £166,000 by the ESB on this project in Inismhicealáin is a major scandal and a gross waste of public resources? Would he agree that the ESB's inability to purchase the generators at Cape Clear, which produce 20 times more electricity than that produced at Inismhicealáin for £100,000 — I understand the ESB offered £20,000 — is becoming a major scandal? Will the Minister comment?
The decision with regard to Cape Clear is a separate matter because the generator is owned by a private company. I recognise that there is an inconsistency in the ESB's approach to wind energy research on off-shore islands in the extent of the expenditure on this project and the decision made in regard to Cape Clear.
Before we move on from questions, a Leas Cheann Comhairle, I seek your guidance. I had sought permission to raise the collapse of Century Radio by way of Private Notice Question. I accept the ruling of the Chair but I wish to express my dismay that the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications now says that the matter is not his concern, it having originally been his legislation. It is a great pity that the Minister is not prepared to come into the House and stand over his legislation.
In the absence of the Minister the Deputy can not presuppose his lack of preparedness to stand over anything; that is unkind.
I have been advised by the Office of the Ceann Comhairle — and I understand that Deputy Currie is in the same position — that the reason for not allowing the question is that the Minister claims he has no responsibility in the area. That is very disheartening for all of those out there.
It is.
The Minister has concern in respect of any amending legislation that might be required. The Deputy is experienced and intelligent enough to know that that is the position.
In addition to the point just made, nearly 60 people have lost their jobs.
Yes.
The position is that radio stations throughout the country cannot carry out their statutory responsibility to broadcast news. Government policy in this matter is in a complete shambles. All of the people——
Deputy Currie, I am sorry but you are not going to make a speech here on that subject.
I am just asking questions.
Deputy Currie, you will operate only in accordance with the order of this House as agreed by your colleagues.
Yes, sure.
That is what I must carry out. Deputy Currie, you are not going to avail of this opportunity to make a speech on something that is not relevant.
May I, Sir, ask a question?
You may ask it if it is in order.
In view of what I have already said, how is it that this is not a matter of urgency, considering that the front pages of all of the papers in the country are full of it?
Perhaps your own conscience can answer you on that, I cannot. I answer only on the Standing Orders. If you are disposed to having the Standing Orders changed, you have the mechanism by which you can do it.
