Noel Coonan (Fine Gael)

I support the call by Senator Finucane for a debate on energy and ESB charges. I am not sure whether the Government will take seriously a report which cost €1.2 million when one considers that the Minister said that €143 million is not a significant figure. One wonders how he would regard a figure of €1.2 million. He would probably consider it to be small change which is not worth bothering about.

The debate should be broadened to include the quality of service provided by semi-State bodies like the ESB. I experienced a number of difficulties when I contacted the ESB to get a connection. There was no office in the area which I could visit and I was forced to wait 41 minutes to get through to a representative when I phoned the ESB. I was then asked to press a range of buttons to access various services.

We should examine the disgraceful quality of service provided to the public by some of these semi-State bodies. Not only is a person forced to wait 41 minutes to talk to an ESB representative, he or she must also endure the strains of "Have I Told You Lately?" by Van Morrison when he or she is going berserk trying to get through to someone. The Leader should broaden the scope of the debate to include the quality of services provided by semi-State bodies to ensure that bodies like the ESB have local offices or, at least, local contacts which people can access. Can one imagine what it is like for young mothers with children waiting on the phone to speak to someone? People who are not computer-literate experience real problems with the ESB because it is impossible to obtain forms. The bureaucracy attached to a simple task, such as getting a connection, is stifling.