Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 21 Nov 1984

"That Dáil Éireann condemns the Government's failure to control the price of electricity and, in view of the serious hardship the high cost of electricity is causing countless families and the loss of jobs in industry resulting from the lack of competitiveness, calls upon the Government to withdraw its approval for the recent price increase pending the publication and a full debate on the report of the inquiry into the high cost of electricity in Ireland."

To this motion the following amendment was moved by the Minister for the Environment:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"notes that the Tánaiste and Minister for Energy has recently received for examination the report of the Inquiry into Electricity Prices, notes that the cost behind electricity supply result for decisions taken over many decades with the approval of successive Governments, notes that the finances of the ESB must be assured to maintain an appropriate level of service to all consumers, endorses the view of the Minister for Energy that it is likely that electricity prices can only be reduced through long term structural measures which allow for the regional, employment, and social, as well as economic aspects of electricity supply, and approves the decision of the Government to allow the recent increase in electricity charges, as recommended by the National Prices Commission, which keeps the increase in electricity prices below the already reduced level of general inflation."