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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 26 Feb 1970

Vol. 244 No. 11

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Cork Rural Electrification.

69.

asked the Minister for Transport and Power the cause of the delay by the ESB in supplying electricity in the district from Kilcatherine to Inward Ardgroom, County Cork, in which area nearly 100 per cent of the householders agreed to take a supply in a canvass which was carried out 12 years ago; and whether arrangements will now be made to supply the 110 householders in this district as soon as possible.

I am informed by the ESB that the canvass of 12 years ago referred to by the Deputy was no more than a preliminary survey, which revealed that to supply the district would have necessitated special service charges so high as to be utterly unacceptable to the potential consumers. The district was, therefore, omitted from the original rural electrification scheme.

Now that charges have been substantially reduced the district has been included in the Castletownbere rural area for the purpose of the planned post-development scheme under which the ESB, proceeding rural area by rural area, will give an opportunity of taking supply to all those still unconnected.

In the Cork ESB district, however, as elsewhere, progress of the scheme has been retarded by the great numbers now demanding supply and the necessity to strengthen the existing system to accommodate the rapidly increasing load. Certain new connections are given priority, and this also has had the effect of delaying the planned post-development scheme.

I am at present in consultation with the ESB to see what can be done to keep up progress on the scheme.

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