asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the number of outstanding applicants for electricity supply in County Mayo at present; the average waiting period before connection; and if he will authorise the employment of extra labourers to expedite installations and improve maintenance standards.
Written Answers . - Mayo Electricity Supply Applicants .
163.
: I am informed by the Electricity Supply Board that they do not have readily available information regarding the number of outstanding applicants for electricity supply in County Mayo which, for administrative purposes, falls into the board's Galway and Sligo districts.
The board tell me that about 130 of the 200 or so householders in Mayo, who qualified for subsidised connection to the electricity supply under the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1976 remain to be connected, and they hope to have this work completed by the end of March 1979. The board also tell me that day-to-day applications from householders and so on in County Mayo for connection to the electricity supply are dealt with in the ordinary way of business, a period of some eight to 12 weeks normally elapsing before applicants are connected.
The employment of such staff as is necessary is a matter for the board themselves who tell me that the optimum number of labourers which it is possible to utilise within the constraints of available resources, including skilled supervisors, have been employed in their Galway and Sligo districts. The board add that they are not aware of any problems in the area of planned maintenance.