asked the Minister for Health if he will introduce a scheme of grants to aid the installation of standby generators for power generation, with particular regard to hospitals and homes for people in need of care in view of the increasing hardships being suffered by such institutions due to difficulties in regular power supply.
Written Answers. - Power Generator Grants.
369.
Most of the larger hospitals and other health institutions come under the aegis of my Department and have been provided with stand-by generators from public funds. Some of these generators meet full emergency requirements and in other cases stand-by supply is limited to essential needs. Full stand-by generators will be installed in the hospitals being provided and developed throughout the country.
It is the policy of the Electricity Supply Board to maintain electricity supplies, as far as possible, to health institutions with priority being given to general hospitals and other larger institutions. Officers of my Department have currently under consideration in conjunction with the ESB the question of minimising difficulties which may arise for such institutions in the event of interruption of electricity supplies.