asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he issued any instructions to the ESB regarding the collection of accounts due to them as a result of the strike; and, if so, what these instructions were.

I did not issue any such instructions. This is a matter of day-to-day administration of the ESB in which I do not intervene.

The Minister for Transport and Power in his winding-up speech on the Estimate for his Department, and again in reply to questions by Deputy Garret FitzGerald, assured the House that the ESB would not be severe on people who had bills accumulated over the nine months of the strike in the ESB, not through their own fault. The Minister should now agree to instruct the ESB to accept payment of these bills in instalments and not, as they are trying to do at the moment, in one lump sum. Will the Minister do that?

There is nothing in the question which indicates that the ESB are being tough with customers.

They are being tough even with people who have no arrears. They are threatening to cut them off if they do not get payment within three days.

I will convey the Deputy's views to the Minister.

The Minister said he would issue that instruction.

Is the Minister standing in for the Minister aware that the Minister for whom he is standing in gave me an assurance in the past couple of weeks that the ESB would not proceed in this way? I pointed out to him that they were doing so in some cases and he asked me to bring those cases to his attention. Would he now ensure that the ESB are acting in the manner in which they apparently assured the Minister they would act, that is, in a fair way and not cutting people off three days after sending them their bills?

I have no doubt at all but that my colleague will stand over any assurances he has given.

Will he ensure that the ESB give effect to this assurance?

Will the Minister agree that the assurance means nothing?

Certainly not.

The Minister has just said that he did not issue any instructions so the assurance means nothing.

He did not give the assurance the Deputy is now suggesting.

Surely the Minister for Industry and Commerce is aware that the Minister for Transport and Power is a promising young man who promises all things to everybody and never has any intention of fulfilling any of the promises he makes. That is well known.

He is here because of the fulfilment of his promises.

Where are the other four?

Did the Minister not say just now that no instructions were issued to the ESB?

The other four are in the wilderness now.

They are still here.

Question No. 20.

I hear that Deputy Flor Crowley is now a Minister of the Government in exile.

I am not specifically aware of the assurances given by the Minister at that time. Any assurances the Minister gave will be fulfilled.

I will produce the record.

Question No. 20.