The Minister for Industry and Commerce has asked me to move the Second Reading of the Statutory Undertakings (Continuance of Charges) (No. 2) Bill, 1923. An Act was passed on the 16th February, 1923, and was limited in operation to the 31st May, 1923. It is now proposed to extend the operations of that Act to the 31st December of this year.
In introducing the previous Bill it was explained that it applied to:—Tramways, Harbours, Docks and Piers, Canals and Inland Navigations.
The names of the particular undertakings affected by the Act are given in the Schedules.
The charging powers of these undertakings are in each case fixed by the special Act of Parliament by which they were authorised. These charging powers are based on the cost of supervision, materials and labour in a period before the European War, and at the end of that War were found to be insufficient to meet the cost of carrying on the undertakings. Accordingly, various Acts were passed by the British Parliament enabling the Minister of Transport, by Order, to authorise, temporarily, increases in the charging powers, and all these Orders were due to expire on or about 15th February last.
Since the conditions which made it impossible for the undertakings to carry on with the maximum charging powers authorised by their Special Acts of Parliament still existed it was necessary that the right to make temporarily increased charges should be extended.
The Act passed by the Oireachtas on 16th February last authorised an extension to 31st May next, and this Bill authorises a further extension to 31st December next.
The Bill which is now before the Deputies provides:—
(a) in the case of Harbour and Tramways specified in the First and Second Schedules to the Bill that the Orders now in operation which enable temporary increased charges to be made shall continue until the end of the year unless revised in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Acts under which the Orders were originally made.
(b) In the case of the Canal undertakings specified in the Third Schedule to the Bill that the Orders now in operation shall continue until the end of the year with a provision that any such Orders may be revised in the same way as an Order relating to a Harbour or Tramway undertaking.
The General effect of these Orders was as follows:—
Charging Powers of Harbour Authorities raised from 40 p.c. to 100.
Charging Powers of Tramway Authorities raised up to 100 p.c.
Charging Powers of Canal Authorities raised up to 120 p.c.
There is no immediate prospect of undertakings covered by the Bill being able to revert to the scale of charges in operation before 1914.
The procedure for revising the effect of the Orders is much the same whether it is a Tramway, a Harbour or a Canal undertaking that is in question. The Minister may, and if requested by the undertakers or a representative body of users or a Local Authority must, refer to a body known as the Rates Advisory Committee for advice as to whether he should issue a further order revising charges. The Minister considers the report of the Committee and has a discretion as to what Order he will make.
The Rates Advisory Committee, should it be necessary to set one up, consists of five persons, a Chairman experienced in law, two representatives of trading and agricultural interests, one of transportation and one of labour. A sixth member may be appointed if the Minister thinks it necessary.
The object of the Bill is, shortly stated, to enable the undertakings to which it applies to carry on their services with their present charging powers up to the end of the year, with a provision enabling these charging powers to be revised at any time within that period if it proves necessary.