Sinn Féin Cllr John Dwyer has described the announcement that the ESB shop in New Ross is set to close on the 29th August, as "disgraceful treatment for the people of New Ross, from a semi-state company that is clearly more concerned with maximising profits than with providing a social need."
Speaking in New Ross today (June 16th), Cllr Dwyer said:
"Only ten days ago, the ESB annual report for 2002 was published, showing a record profit of €250 million; an increase of 26% on 2001. Turnover increased by €111 million to €2.15 billion. Shareholders were paid a dividend of €39.7 million for the year and the ESB was selected as preferred bidders for major contracts in the USA and Spain.
"These profits do not take into account the14% increase in domestic electricity prices approved by the government last year.
"Despite being in an extremely healthy financial situation, senior management and unions in the ESB, have agreed on a sweetheart deal, to close 27 retail outlets around the country, including the shop in New Ross.
"While negotiating this deal, they completely neglected to consult their customers, or to assess the needs of those who will be most affected by the withdrawal of this service.
"That consumers should be told to pay their electricity bill at the post office in future, is completely unsatisfactory. Already the post office is overburdened, with queues regularly stretching outside the main door in all weathers. Neither do An Post have any plans to extend their facilities to deal with this extra workload.
"The closure of the ESB shop will also mean that the facility to purchase domestic appliances, or to make account enquiries, will be withdrawn from the people of New Ross.
"Given that the town of New Ross is expanding with 700 new house starts planned over the next nine months, this is a totally backward and illogical step.
"Withdrawing this service is disgraceful treatment for the people of New Ross. It is meted out by a semi-state company, in a monopoly position, clearly driven by the desire to maximise its already massive profits, rather than with meeting a social need for its customers.
"It would seem that the government as major shareholders in the ESB approves of these closures and we are now perhaps seeing the ESB being fattened up further for future privatisation.
"The sad irony is, that it is the ordinary householder that will pay for, and yet lose most, from this deal."
