asked the President whether he is aware that a large number of employees who were for years engaged on Irish railways building waggons and carriages are now unemployed; if he will cause enquiries to be made into the placing of orders in British workshops for waggons, engines and carriages for Irish railways; if he will state whether any Irish orders are at present being undertaken by British firms, and if he can take any steps to prevent this work leaving the Saorstát whilst men are unemployed, plant and machinery idle, and workshops available.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK.
, replying: It is the fact that a substantial number of railway shopmen are unemployed, the main cause being the falling off in traffic and the consequent necessity for economy. I am informed that no orders for either waggons, engines or carriages have been placed outside this country. The Great Northern Railway, which does not build engines, has not bought any for 18 months, while the Great Southern Railway has not ordered any for a longer time, though it has in some cases imported parts of engines manufactured during the war and sold at exceptionally low prices.
So far as I am aware, no orders by any Irish Railway Company are at present being undertaken by firms in Great Britain or any other country. I understand that some Pullman coaches are being built in Great Britain for use on the Irish railways, but the Deputy will appreciate that such proprietary coaches are not owned by the railway company but by the Pullman Company which pays for the right to put them on the railway.
As I have no evidence that any work is improperly or unreasonably leaving the Saorstát, there is at present no case for taking any such special steps as are suggested.
Will the Minister state whether coaches to replace the Pullman car coaches could not be built in Ireland?
The question there arises: Are the company to be allowed to have Pullman coaches or not? If they are, you cannot insist on replacing these coaches by other vehicles.
Can the Minister state approximately the number of men who will be displaced as a result of the information contained in the answer arising out of what he attributes to alleged depression in trade?
No men have been dismissed arising out of anything alleged in the question.
That is the result of amalgamation.