Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 21 Mar 1950

Vol. 119 No. 14

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rural Electrification Scheme.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether the 50 per cent. capital subsidy under the rural electrification scheme is adequate on the basis of present ascertained costs to enable 70 per cent. of rural dwellings to be connected, subject to the ratio of capital cost to fixed charge revenue not exceeding 16, and, if not, whether it is proposed to increase the subsidy or to modify the scheme.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the subsidy per cent. of capital cost required by the Electricity Supply Board under the rural electrification scheme to connect 70 per cent. of all rural dwellings, excluding dwellings where the ratio of capital cost to fixed charge revenue exceeds 16, or the basis of the present rural tariff fixed charge and an average capital cost of connection of £80 14s. Od.

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 25 and 26 together.

On the basis of the present estimated capital costs and the fixed charge revenue obtained on development to date, it is estimated by the Electricity Supply Board that supply could only be given to 45 per cent. of the dwellings in rural areas, if the capital subsidy is limited to 50 per cent. The question of an appropriate percentage rate of subsidy to enable supply to be given, on the basis of the Report on Rural Electrification, to 69 per cent. of the dwellings is at present under consideration.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state what steps are being taken by the Electricity Supply Board to increase the rate of construction of the rural electrification network from the 1949 figure of 1,005 miles to the 7,500 miles per annum originally contemplated, and if there is any prospect of this latter rate of construction being realised in the foreseeable future.

I am informed by the Electricity Supply Board that it was never contemplated that 7,500 miles of line would be erected per annum. It was estimated that 75,000 miles of line would be required to connect all the rural dwellings, totalling 403,000; but that the target was only 69 per cent of this total, so that on this basis the mileage of line would approximate to 52,000. I should add in this connection that I am informed by the board that this mileage of line includes both 10,000 volt and low-tension lines. The total length of line erected during 1949 was almost 2,000 miles, of which, as I informed the Deputy in reply to a question which he addressed to me on the 15th March, 1,005 miles were 10,000 volt lines.

The House will appreciate that the maximum rate of development could not in any event be achieved in the early stages of the scheme. The problem is also complicated by the facts that the capital cost is proving to be higher than was originally estimated, and that the revenue from the fixed charges in relation to the capital cost is lower than had been hoped. As I have informed the Deputy in reply to the previous questions to-day, the rate of subsidy, as affected by these factors, is under consideration.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state what proportion of the workers employed by the Electricity Supply Board on the rural electrification scheme in 1949 were skilled workers.

I am informed by the Electricity Supply Board that of the manual workers employed in 1949 by the board on the rural electrification scheme, 26 per cent. were skilled workers.

Barr
Roinn