Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

Deputy O'Donnell's response indicates the unsatisfactory nature of the Adjournment debate. However, I welcome the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and wish him well in his new position. He will be hearing plenty from me on this and other issues concerning my constituency. The future of the ESB power station in Shannonbridge, West Offaly Power, is crucial to the development of County Offaly and the midlands region as a whole. I hope the Minister is aware that there has been a long history of semi-State employment in County Offaly, both through the ESB and Bord na Móna, although the numbers employed in both companies have been reduced significantly in the past decade.

Shannonbridge power station was well served by its staff during its period of operation. It closed to make way for West Offaly Power, with major job losses, which caused difficulties in the county. Although I was not involved in politics at the time, I know that closure was difficult to accept, but it was accepted by local people. West Offaly Power is now in place with a sister station in Lanesboro. West Offaly Power employs in the region of 47 people. The Minister will be aware that his own party objected to the construction of the plant in the first place, but I am sure that will not be an issue for him now. Both power stations have been opened for less than three years, and both are off-line for the second time in that period. The Minister will be aware that they were built at a cost to the taxpayer of almost €500 million. I fully support them and I lobbied for the Shannonbridge station to be built. I lobbied for a station that would work, however, and that would do the job it was designed to accomplish.

In 2006, the problem was in the boiler area. This time, the problem is in the 25 tonne destock cylinder area. I am not here to make cynical points and I do accept that extracting energy from peat is a complicated process. Such extraction processes have been under way since the mid-1940s, although I accept that the process has changed in the new stations. Their aim was to reduce emissions and they were achieving that. It is unacceptable, however, that both stations have closed again for the second time in three years.

Safety for the staff, both in Shannonbridge and Lanesboro, must come first. That is the paramount objective. The health and safety concerns that have resulted in the stations' closure are understandable and I acknowledge that they must be off-line at present. I have several questions for the new Minister and I hope he will set a precedent of answering questions of concern to Members, rather than just giving us a prepared speech.

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