asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he can state the result of the working of the Irish railways since the passing of the Railways Act, 1924.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - THE IRISH RAILWAYS.
I have no statement to make at present on this matter. Amalgamation under the Railways Act did not come into operation until the first of January this year, and the results of the year's working will appear when the statutory accounts are duly published.
Might I ask the Minister whether he is satisfied with the present working of the railways that has incurred a loss of practically £15,000 a week?
That is not relative to the question. It is a matter of the working of the railways since the passing of the Railways Act, and not, I presume, on the passing of the Railways Act.
My supplementary question is in connection with the railways that are controlled by the Tribunal set up by the Minister, which has resulted in losses of £15,000 a week.
I must specifically deny that the loss to the railways company has been due to anything that has been done by the Railway Tribunal. If the Deputy makes inquiries from the proper sources he will find that there has not been a loss as a result of amalgamation.
Will the Minister also ascertain from the company how much they have saved by the wholesale dismissal of thousands of temporary men, and savings in other directions? Will he also undertake to give me the particulars in regard to this matter, for which I asked some time ago, and which he then said he was unable to procure?
What are these particulars?
The amount involved in the compensation paid, or alleged to be paid, to people who became redundant under the Act and for which he is responsible.
I think I answered the Deputy, who had put down a question with regard to compensation paid to dismissed employees, and I stated that I had not then a list up to date. If the Deputy likes to have it as from the date on which the last question was put I will give him that information, but that is a separate question, I think. I cannot accept, of course, either Deputy Byrne's statement that there is such a loss as he states, or Deputy Davin's statement that thousands of employees have been dismissed. I do not know anything about these matters.
Will the Minister undertake to look up or to ask for the particulars for which I asked a month ago and which I have not yet got?
The Deputy made no request that they should be given to him since my last reply. He asked for them up to a particular date, and I answered him with regard to the position on that date. If he wishes to get fuller information from that date I will get him these particulars, but I cannot keep particulars from day to day.
I did not ask for particulars from day to day, but up to that particular date.
Will the Deputy repeat the question?
Might I ask the Minister to consider the advisability of securing half-yearly reports? He might learn something from such half-yearly reports.
The Deputy might learn something from that report.
The share market is quite sufficient for me.
Even for the purpose of educating the Deputy, I do not think it wise to put the company to the expense of printing such a report. The share market is not a correct guide. It is absolutely influenced both by adverse and lugubrious statements made by directors, and by Deputies in this House.
I wonder who the Deputies are?
Deputy Byrne is one.
Deputy Byrne made no remark that affected the matter of the markets. The markets drew my attention to what is going on.
The Deputy is emphasising it now.