asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of rural electrification schemes completed in each of the years ended 31st March from 1952 to 1958, inclusive.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rural Electrification Schemes.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:—
|
Year ended 31st March |
Number of areas completed |
|
1952 |
49 |
|
1953 |
49 |
|
1954 |
60 |
|
1955 |
75 |
|
1956 |
99 |
|
1957 |
80 |
|
1958 |
60 |
The number of areas developed in 1956-7 was 80. Of these 54 areas were completed before the end of September, 1956, and 26 areas in the remaining half of the year.
Would the Minister mind saying what number of areas was completed in the financial year ended in March, 1958?
The figure I have for 1958 is 60.
I take it that the Minister will now admit, and that Deputy O'Malley will also admit when he reads the reply, that in fact the number of areas completed this year was less than the number completed in each of the previous three years?
The number of areas completed in 1956-57 was 80, but of these areas, 54 were completed before the end of September, 1956, and only 26 in the second part of that year.
But it was 80 for the year. Now that lie has been nailed.
We will have to take them seriatim.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the capital expenditure on rural electrification schemes in each of the financial years from 1952 to 1958, inclusive.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
|
Year ended 31st March |
Amount |
|
£ |
|
|
1952 |
1,341,924 |
|
1953 |
1,744,949 |
|
1954 |
2,622,726 |
|
1955 |
3,132,153 |
|
1956 |
3,930,632 |
|
1957 |
3,665,142 |
|
1958 |
2,500,000(Estimated) |
Would the Minister mind quoting the figure for the last 12 months?
The figure for expenditure was £3,665,000, that is, for 1957.
What about the figure for the 12 months ending March, 1958?
I have not got that.
How can the Minister have completed 80 areas in 1957-58 and not have the figure——
£2,500,000, estimated.
The Minister now says the expenditure in 1958 was £2,500,000. Will the Minister now say that it is inaccurate to say that £3,600,000 was spent on rural electrification in the 12 months ending March, 1957?
What was stated was that the rate of development of rural electrification contracted very sharply during that year, so that very little could be done in the second part of it.
The fact remains that, when the inter-Party Government were in office, more people were employed on rural electrification than now. That statement is true and cannot be denied by the Minister or any Deputy.
You started shooting it down in the middle of 1956.
We spent more money than ever you spent. This is a "chancing-the-arm" act again.