asked the Minister for Transport and Power the output, the number employed and the amount of turf consumed during the past 12 months at Screebe electric power station, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the future of the station.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Galway Generating Station.
3.
I am informed by the ESB that the output of Screebe power station during 1965 was 2,054,000 units; the number employed during 1965 varied from 15 when the station was working to two when the station was idle, and the amount of turf consumed at the station during the same period was 4,677 tons.
The station was built to provide an outlet for surplus hand-won turf in the area and its capacity was based on the assumption that approximately 30,000 tons per annum would be available. Deliveries have fallen very much short of this figure but there is at present no intention to discontinue the operation of the station.
Would the Minister indicate what steps will be taken to improve the output? Will he admit that the station was wrongly sited in the first instance?
The indications were that there was a very good supply of turf available in the area and, as the Deputy knows, grants were offered for bog roads and drains to enable turf to be brought out.
Will the Minister not agree that there would be a better supply of turf further afield?
From an examination made of the area at the time, it seemed that there would be as good a volume of turf from that area as any other.
Can the Minister indicate what improvements he expects in output there?
I could not say. It depends on the number of people who work at providing turf for the power station. The price of it is fairly reasonable and I have had no complaints of lack of access facilities to the bogs concerned.