Vol. 451 No. 3
14 Mr. P. Gallagher (Donegal South-West) asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if he will make a statement on the future of the Gweedore turf-burning station in view of a decision of November 1994, and the public notice placed in a Donegal local paper by the ESB. [5849/95]
The Gweedore generation station commissioned in 1958 had by 1994 exceeded its design life by 11 years. As a result of this, dwindling turf supplies and the high cost per unit of electricity the then Government in November 1992, decided that an orderly wind down of the station should go ahead.
In accordance with a commitment already given the station will continue to operate until the end of this year. Turf suppliers, workers, unions and management are aware of the situation and the chief executive of ESB has given an undertaking that there will be no forced redundancies.
In addition, the ESB intend to put in place a strategy for local community development which would include compensation for local private turf cutters as well as enterprise options for the wider community. The ESB have assured me that every effort will be made to ensure that the consumption of sod peat will be broadly in line with usage in previous years.
