asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that owing to inadequate and unsatisfactory arrangements for dealing with dutiable traffic at Greenore—involving considerable delay and additional expense to traders—inward traffic is being diverted from Greenore to ports outside the Saorstát where better Customs facilities are provided; whether the Saorstát Customs Authorities have received repeated representations on the matter from the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company, and what steps, if any, he intends taking to remedy a state of affairs calculated to detrimentally affect the port of Greenore and which reflects unfavourably on the efficiency of Saorstát administration.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - DUTIABLE TRAFFIC AT GREENORE.
TOMAS MacEOIN
As regards the first part of the question, I have no information of any such diversion of inward traffic from Greenore to ports outside the Saorstát. Considerable difficulty in dealing with inward dutiable traffic has been experienced by the Customs Officers at Greenore, partly on account of the diversion of traffic from Dublin to Greenore during the recent labour troubles at the former port, and partly on account of the continued failure of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company to provide suitable office and shed accommodation at Greenore. As regards the second and third parts of the question, the Railway Company named have made certain representations to the Revenue Authorities as to difficulties experienced in obtaining the release of dutiable goods at Greenore. All practicable steps have been taken by the Authorities to enable the Customs Officers to cope with the very heavy pressure of work due to the causes I have mentioned, but these steps cannot be fully effective until the Railway Company have fulfilled their obligations in regard to the provision of suitable accommodation.