Most of the payments which fall under this Vote are absolutely and entirely governed by statute, and with one exception there can be no charge made in them. Taking them in order. Sub-head A is fixed under the Railways Act of 1924, and has, of course, to be balanced by the entire total of the Appropriations-in-Aid which is £28,000. It means that the nett sum payable, actually, is the difference between £48,688 and £28,102, the sum definitely and clearly fixed by the Railways Act as the Appropriations-in-Aid. Sub-head B deals with repayments to county councils. That, again, is pretty well explained by the footnote which states: "Under Section 63 (4) of the Railways Act, 1924, the repayments to county councils except as regards the Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway Company ceased as from 31st day of December, 1924." The provision for the £800 is therefore a payment to the Dublin and Blessington Tramway Company.
The remainder is a provision to meet arrears. It should be explained that the arrears are arrears the fault for which is not due to the Government. The way these payments arise is that certain local authorities make payments. When the payments are made the Government repays to the local authority a certain amount not exceeding a certain percentage, so that these repayments on the part of the Government make up the actual payments that have, in the first instance, been made by the proper people. This payment of £3,468 in respect of the Cavan and Leitrim Railway falls for payment this year. As regards sub-head C—Special Railway Undertakings—this is an item which is diminishing. I had some expectation that it would have entirely disappeared from the Estimates this year. It represents a loss on the working of the three lines referred to. These lines are being worked at cost in one instance by the Cavan and Leitrim Company and in the other by the Great Southern Company. The question of the taking over of these railways by the amalgamated company is under consideration, and an attempt is being made to arrive at a decision on that point.
Sub-head D is statutory and no change can be made in respect of it. The first of these sums will disappear from the Estimates next year, and thereafter there will be an increasing drop in that Vote for the period of years as set out in the third smaller column of the sub-head. E is an item I thought might also have disappeared from the Vote this year. It does not represent a sum of £5,000 this year in addition to the £6,800 voted last year. The £6,800 voted last year was to clear up this matter entirely. This payment arises because at the time the railways were taken over and the colliery railways were being built certain people could not prove title to their lands, and the land was taken as an emergency, payments being left to be fixed afterwards. There have been certain legal delays since with regard to proving title. It is estimated, therefore, that this £5,000 will clear the debt. It is not an additional payment to the £6,800 of last year. Very little of that was expended. Item F caused some trouble here recently, I believe, on a Supplementary Estimate. It was then explained, and a certain amount of detail was given about it, though not, I find, to the satisfaction of the House at that period. This steamer plies between Sligo and Belmullet, and there had been an arrangement whereby it was worked at a certain rate and free, I think, at one time. A further arrangement was made for ending a six months' arrangement by which a certain maximum payment was to be paid on the loss of working. Thereafter, the arrangement is, the loss on working is borne by the Government. It is on a month to month basis and can be got rid of when it is thought desirable to end the service. The trouble is that Belmullet is situated away from any rail-head and there must be some communications between Belmullet and Sligo.
The whole matter came under the control of my Department recently, and it is being inquired into as to whether any economies can be effected or any service can be substituted for the steamer. There are not many trips each week; I think there is only one each way. The cargo never exceeds seventy tons from Sligo to Belmullet, and the average tonnage back runs from three tons to fifteen tons. It is mainly feeding stuffs that are taken to Belmullet, and the cargo back generally consists of shell-fish or live pigs. Two alternatives are suggested, one that there should be a steamer service from Achill Sound station. That would be expensive in itself, and would have the effect of transferring the centre of operation from Sligo to Dublin. It is not considered that that is what the people want. The other alternative would be road transport. To enter on a scheme of road transport would be very costly and would mean entirely re-building a very bad road, and the cost of maintaining in repair that road would be more than even the £1,200 now asked for. Certain inquiries, however, are being made with regard to the steamer. There are certain disadvantages. It does seem that smaller boats might do, from the point of view of cargo. There is another point as to how far in the boat can go. It has to go to Picke Pier Point. From that the stuff has to be brought to a shed, and from that it is carted along a very rough, bad road into Belmullet. I think the distance would be a mile all told. If the boat could be brought closer in it might make the service pay.
All these matters have been under consideration, but in the time it has not been possible to investigate the matter sufficiently to see whether a decision could be made. If the people in the district do not support the service better than they have done in the past it will have to be discontinued. It was put there when they had no other way of getting supplies. There are now alternatives, and in fact the people are using other methods of supply to the detriment of themselves. This was brought there for their benefit, and they can take warning that if there is not an improvement we might have a situation like that with regard to the Lucan Tramway, where the people used a particular method of transport to their undoing in the end. While we have estimated this sum to make good the deficit in working the service it is by no means established that the service is to be continued. The whole matter is under consideration, and there may be a discontinuance of the service if it is found that it cannot be worked in a more economical way, and if it does not get more support.
