asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware of the very high financial demands imposed on applicants who seek the installation of power from the ESB; and if, for the purpose of ensuring that rural electrification may go ahead unchecked, he will make funds available to that corporation and enable the claims of applicants to be met reasonably and economically.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Rural Electrification.
25.
The Government are already providing funds for rural electrification. In the current financial year, the ESB are spending £3 million on extending and strengthening the electricity supply to rural householders and the Government are contributing £1.8 million of this sum by way of rural electrification subsidy.
Some rural consumers have had to pay special service charges in addition to their normal fixed charges because of the very high capital cost of connecting their houses. In mid-1968, however, the Government arranged for substantial reductions—up to two-thirds in some cases—in the higher special service charges. I am satisfied that the charges now payable by rural householders are the lowest possible.
It may be that what the Deputy has in mind is the ESB practice of seeking capital contributions from unconnected householders who are unwilling to wait until the Board's rural electrification post-development scheme reaches their areas.
This scheme is being carried out on an area by area basis so as to keep the cost of the work to the lowest possible level and thus ensure that the maximum number of connections are made with the capital available. The board are, on occasions, 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, some rural householders 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.
Is the Minister aware that some cottiers have been asked for as much as £1,000 for the installation of electricity? Is the Minister further aware that they have been told that the money will be refunded when the area comes to be developed? Surely it is not beyond the power of the Government to float a loan or to do something to tide those people over the time which remains? Under the present system, despite what the Government are giving or not giving, people have to wait years for electricity.
The ESB are having discussions at the moment with my Department and the Department of Finance on the future financing of rural electrification with a view to having it completed by March, 1975. That is the target.
That is five years.
Is the Minister not aware that it is impossible for many applicants for rural electrification to meet the demand for the capital cost of the work? It is only those who are well endowed with the world's goods who can meet such demands. Would he not think it is completely unfair that the man in rural Ireland who has not the capital to provide this money to the board must wait whilst his well-to-do neighbour, whether he comes from Ireland, England or the Continent, gets the supply without difficulty? Surely there is something unfair in that system? Why not do away with it?
The facts are that the pressure of demand from rural consumers is outrunning resources. That is the answer to that.
26.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will recommend to the ESB that farmers who send milk to creameries get priority consideration when the board are deciding their development plans to give electricity to applicants.
I am informed by the Electricity Supply Board that it is their policy to utilise the resources available for connecting new rural consumers on the basis of an orderly programme, planned and executed on a rational basis. Only in this way can the overall cost, and the cost of individual connections, be kept within reasonable limits, though it necessarily involves a wait for many applicants, including dairy farmers, until their areas are reached under the programme. To give priority to unconnected dairy farmers irrespective of the the areas in which they are situated would seriously interfere with the orderly progress of the planned programme and would increase costs significantly.