Vol. 66 No. 16
I move:
That the Dublin Gas Order, 1969, proposed to be made by the Minister for Transport and Power and laid in draft before Seanad Éireann on the 25th day of June, 1969, under subsection (4) of Section 10 of the Gas Regulation Act, 1920, be approved.
Gas undertakings generally operate under special Acts which authorise them to manufacture and distribute gas in certain specified areas. Modifications to the special Acts required by the undertakings from time to time are made under Section 10 of the Gas Regulation Act, 1920, which enables me to make by Order the required modifications. Before an Order of this kind is made it has to be laid in draft before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Houses of the Oireachtas may, by resolution, approve the draft Order in the form submitted or may approve it with modifications or additions. When such approval is given I may make the Order in the form in which it has been approved.
In 1954 an Order was made which gave the Alliance and Dublin Consumers' Gas Company power to appoint either the Chief Engineer, the General Manager or the Secretary of the Company as a Director of the Company.
The General Manager is now on the Board of Directors but the company wish to have the power to appoint the Chief Engineer and the Secretary as directors also. These officers hold divisional responsibility in the company's organisation and the company feel that, to give them stronger status, it is desirable that they should be permitted to be on the Board. The Order now laid in draft before the House for approval will give the company the necessary authority to make these appointments whenever they see fit to do so.
Notice of the proposed Order was published by the Company in Iris Oifigiúil and in a daily newspaper. Copies of the draft Order were sent to the public and local authorities concerned.
No objection to the proposed Order was received.
I am satisfied as to the need for the Order and that there is nothing in it repugnant to the public interest. I, therefore, recommend the Order for the approval of the Seanad.
There is one point I should like to make in connection with this Order and it is this: apparently, the Gas Regulation Act of 1920, section 10, requires to be done what the Minister has done here tonight. I should like to say that we are in favour of this move because these technical men acting on this board can only improve the service and improve the conditions of this company. The point I want to make is that it is an unusual regulation and apparently carries a restriction in so far as the Gas Company are concerned, the restriction being that a request for permission to make changes must come before the House of the Oireachtas.
Many companies have power to bring a general manager, secretaries and chief engineers on to their boards without seeking the permission of the Oireachtas. The legislation in respect of the Gas Company was brought in in 1920 when consideration was given to the provision of gas supplies but at this time, when we are tidying up a lot of old legislation, this particular piece of legislation ought to be dropped or altered so that we will not have a situation in which the Minister has to come in here and ask both Houses of the Oireachtas for permission to permit the Gas Company to bring these three officers on to the board.
Sin cheist eile.
