asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details in precise figures for the last three years of the heating bill and lighting bill in relation to the Leinster House building and the offices of each Government Department; and the efforts made to eliminate waste.
Written Answers. - Government Heating and Lighting Bills.
268.
The attached table sets out the expenditure on fuel and electricity for each Department and office in the years 1979, 1980 and 1981. It is not feasible to apportion the cost of electricity between heating, lighting and other purposes, or to show separately the cost of heating and lighting Leinster House.
Every effort is made by the Office of Public Works to keep expenditure on heating and lighting to a minimum. The level of heating provided in Government establishments, the duration of daily heating and the length of the heating season are all kept to the minimum possible consistent with the requirements of the Office Premises Act. Particular attention is paid to the setting of time switches and thermostats and the correct usage of boilers and equipment, and their regular cleaning and maintenance so as to ensure optimum performance and the avoidance of waste.
All Departments and offices are reminded regularly of the need for strict economy in the use of fuel and light and have been furnished with a list of economy measures. An official in each Department and office has been designated as "energy officer" with responsibility for ensuring compliance with these measures.
Following is the table:
|
Departments etc |
1979 |
1980 |
1981 |
|||
|
Fuel |
Electricity |
Fuel |
Electricity |
Fuel |
Electricity |
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
President |
21,502.20 |
22,488.57 |
37,903.13 |
29,657.34 |
43,790.35 |
34,548.51 |
|
Oireachtas (see “Note”) |
14,122.42 |
78,377.39 |
21,577.04 |
116,484.44 |
21,500.77 |
165,324.89 |
|
Taoiseach |
17,385.57 |
37,220.29 |
27,450.13 |
51,513.81 |
31,382.07 |
64,228.75 |
|
Finance |
45,100.52 |
106,062.04 |
72,554.40 |
149,279.99 |
82,023.68 |
198,333.15 |
|
Economic Planning and Development |
284.33 |
1,385.45 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Revenue Commissioners |
134,671.81 |
276,141.18 |
188,216.87 |
329,222.14 |
277,012.50 |
489,018.18 |
|
Office of Public Works |
63,597.49 |
180,019.94 |
90,357.03 |
242,775.44 |
80,576.56 |
299,432.50 |
|
Public Service |
22,679.60 |
42,557.98 |
26,515.38 |
64,931.84 |
28,840.77 |
80,153.56 |
|
Justice |
161,640.33 |
241,473.73 |
244,975.86 |
352,929.51 |
298,488.84 |
488,221.88 |
|
Environment |
18,656.46 |
42,319.24 |
21,048.15 |
51,076.52 |
41,798.59 |
74,253.56 |
|
Education |
78,825.99 |
122,597.90 |
115,727.57 |
159,602.39 |
160,700.06 |
195,957.71 |
|
Fisheries and Forestry |
15,993.36 |
16,653.80 |
32,346.00 |
22,961.77 |
32,304.70 |
26,150.41 |
|
Gaeltacht |
1,946.94 |
6,321.88 |
10,130.19 |
9,455.71 |
18,585.06 |
12,542.10 |
|
Agriculture |
137,036.22 |
248,291.26 |
225,424.64 |
337,503.34 |
257,373.08 |
352,419.79 |
|
Lands |
20,249.71 |
40,040.26 |
35,511.40 |
43,923.10 |
34,304.07 |
57,916.92 |
|
Labour |
16,548.87 |
45,889.40 |
23,808.85 |
57,814.25 |
25,816.00 |
75,341.66 |
|
Industry, Commerce and Tourism |
— |
— |
20,378.56 |
51,345.89 |
24,526.48 |
62,614.22 |
|
Transport |
— |
— |
15,480.31 |
77,464.02 |
21,112.03 |
96,265.14 |
|
Posts and Telegraphs |
21,687.82 |
26,483.71 |
31,451.76 |
49,751.65 |
37,778.92 |
82,456.61 |
|
Defence |
24,213.23 |
19,460.31 |
32,363.44 |
32,596.00 |
33,103.64 |
42,303.34 |
|
Foreign Affairs |
50,016.88 |
81,032.98 |
64,164.23 |
90,806.10 |
71,337.22 |
121,853.53 |
|
Social Welfare |
82,613.38 |
153,531.16 |
120,257.40 |
228,413.18 |
137,362.11 |
333,676.45 |
|
Health |
10,913.52 |
14,301.74 |
15,732.45 |
20,494.05 |
19,626.87 |
26,522.34 |
|
Energy |
— |
— |
1,931.54 |
3,290.31 |
8,118.36 |
12,062.10 |
|
Industry, Commerce and Energy |
15,155.61 |
42,674.94 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Tourism and Transport |
7,860.91 |
44,895.25 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Note: The records of expenditure are not kept in such a way as to enable us to provide separate figures for each building as very often the installation serves more than one building or Department. Leinster House is part of the State group of buildings and the Oireachtas also occupies part of the Setanta Centre. An equitable apportionment of cost as between Departments is made in such cases.