andMr. P. Belton asked the Minister for Justice if the Gardaí have investigated the possibility of malice as a cause of the failure of electricity supply which prevented the completion of the referendum poll in Dublin North-East on 16th October; and what action has been taken.

The Garda Síochána investigated this matter in consultation with the ESB and are satisfied, as are the ESB, that there is no possibility whatsoever that the power failure was caused by any malicious act. The failure was caused by a moisture leak into an underground cable joint-box.