David Stanton
Ceist:61 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the way in which the ESB is accountable to her and to the Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6741/98]
Written Answers - Electricity Supply Board Operations.
The board of ESB was constituted by the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1927 and was given wide powers and the commercial freedom to promote inter alia, the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity throughout the State. Its powers, duties and functions are in the main embodied in the Electricity (Supply) Acts, 1927 to 1988.
ESB behaves in accordance with commercial principles in its day-to-day operations. My primary responsibility and that of my Department is to ensure that ESB, as the monopoly supplier of electricity in Ireland, delivers an adequate supply of electricity to its customers at the cheapest possible price in accordance with its current statutory mandate. I do not have any statutory powers to intervene in the day-to-day operations of the ESB and broad Government control is generally confined to the following:
— Appointment of the chairman and board members
— Approval of changes in electricity prices
— Submission of annual report and accounts
— Submission of a corporate plan
— Approval of the board's overall capital expenditure programme
— Approval of the board's borrowing requirements
— Approval of the establishment and acquisition of companies by the board.
David Stanton
Ceist:62 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the outcome of her recent meeting with the ESB management in relation to its plans to construct pylons in east Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6742/98]
Following the meeting with the Cork Harbour anti pylon community group on 13 November 1997, I contacted the chairman of ESB on this matter and conveyed to him the concerns of the local communities. I have also spoken to the chief executive on the issue.
I do not have the statutory authority to give a direction to ESB on how it should proceed. Decisions in relation to the siting of transmission lines and infrastructural development are primarily matters for the board and management of ESB and are ones in which I have no direct function. This proposal, however, was subjected to the full requirements of the planning process and has received the necessary planning approvals.
ESB has a statutory duty to deliver an adequate supply of electricity to its customers.