asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if, in view of the fact that the finances of some of the smaller harbour boards around the coast are in a very precarious state, owing to the depression in cross-Channel shipping caused by the economic war, it is intended to give any form of relief from Central Funds or otherwise to help them over this very serious crisis in their affairs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Harbour Boards' Finances.
No representations have been received in my Department from any harbour authority in the Saorstát that its financial position has been made precarious in consequence of the recently developed economic relations between the Saorstát and Great Britain. If representations to that effect were made to me by any harbour board, I should have to point out that their duty was to make such adjustment of their expenditure and take such steps to vary their charges within their powers as would restore their finances to as sound a condition as possible.
The Minister states that no representations have been made to him on this matter. I quite agree that no representations have been made to him but, at the same time, he cannot be unaware that these harbour authorities—particularly the authorities of the smaller harbours— have been seriously affected by the cessation of their cross-Channel trade. I think that we ought to regard these as casualties in the economic war and, as such, be prepared to help them to weather the crisis they are passing through. The Minister states that these authorities should so adjust their expenditure that it would square with their income. As a matter of fact, some of these small port authorities have no income at all at the present time and how are they to square expenditure with that?
Any harbour authority in the Saorstát of which I am aware, the financial position of which is not as sound as it might be, has in its power the means of improving that position. There is no harbour authority that I know of of which it could be said that the relations between this country and Great Britain are the sole, or even the main cause of the circumstances to which the Deputy refers.
They have the power, so far as their limited trade extends, of increasing their dues in respect of that limited trade, but that would hit trade very severely. Then, where there is no trade how can they increase the dues?
I do not know to what harbour authorities the Deputy is referring. There is none that I know of to which the Deputy's remarks would apply.
There are several. I shall give the Minister some information about them later.