asked the Minister for Energy the financial assistance which has been provided by the State to the Dublin Gas Company by way of grants, loans, subsidies or other, in each of the last ten years.
Written Answers. - Financial Assistance to Dublin Gas Company.
39.
Details of financial assistance provided by the State to the Dublin Gas Company over the last ten years are as follows: 1975 — £0.3 million; 1976 — £1.27 million; 1977 — £2.72 million; 1978 — £4.75 million; 1979 — £4.42 million; 1980 — £3.72 million; 1981 — £3.36 million; 1982 — £3.11 million; 1983 — £5.06 million; 1984 — £25.55 million. Payments up to and including 1982 were provided under the town gas subsidy schemes (1975 and 1977).
This scheme came into effect on 1 July 1975 and took the form of a subsidy which was paid to producers of town gas to enable them to reduce the price of town gas sold to consumers. The subsidy was no longer payable to the Dublin Gas Company on its receipt of natural gas in 1982 although an amount of £0.46 million has been included in the 1983 figure in respect of payments outstanding.
Contributions in 1983 and 1984 were mainly by way of rebates off the buy-in price of natural gas to Dublin Gas Company and loans by BGE to the company pursuant to the agreement between the parties in respect of conversion of the distribution system and further development of the gas network in Dublin.