asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware that the ESB have requested sums of up to £894 from applicants for the supply of electricity in rural areas of County Waterford who are unable or unwilling to await the board's general redevelopment scheme in their areas; and if he will make a statement on this practice.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Waterford Rural Electrification.
55.
The ESB are carrying out the rural electrification post-development scheme in a planned sequence of areas. The object of this orderly programme is to keep the cost of the work to the lowest possible level and thus ensure that the maximum number of connections are made within the capital available. The board are, on occasion, pressed to make connection out of turn and in cases where this is physically possible and where it will not divert staff from planned work, the board will offer to extend supply but only on payment by the applicant of the full cost of the work.
If, therefore, the persons the Deputy has in mind wish to be connected out of turn, they will have to provide the capital themselves initially. Otherwise, some one or more householders who are already in the planned scheme must lose their place until a later date.
Persons who make capital contributions in these circumstances are reimbursed when the planned scheme reaches their areas.