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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 19 Apr 1934

Vol. 51 No. 15

Fifth Report of the Committee of Selection. - Road Transport Bill, 1934—Final Stages.

I move: That the Bill be received for final consideration.

Question put and agreed to.

I move: That the Bill do now pass.

There is one matter about which I want some information from the Minister. In Section 6, I think, there is a definition of "lorry." I should be glad to know from the Minister what the exact purpose of that section is, or what effect it is intended to have. I do not know whether it has some connection with the liberty that people have enjoyed heretofore to use lorries for carrying persons. There has been some ambiguity in the minds of people in the country as to whether it is legitimate to use lorries primarily intended for the conveyance of goods for the conveyance of people, usually in connection with Gaelic Athletic Association matches or other sporting fixtures, or public meetings.

It has nothing to do with that at all.

I would be glad if the Minister would outline briefly what the exact significance of the section is.

The only section of the Bill that affects the definition of a lorry is Section 3, which includes within that term passenger vehicles when used for the carriage of newspapers. Under the law as it stands, nobody can carry any merchandise for reward without a licence. It has been the practice, however, to carry newspapers in certain parts of the country for distribution around newsagents' shops in ordinary passenger vehicles, and it would be impossible to continue that arrangement unless this section were inserted, which brings within the definition of lorries, for the purposes of the main Act, a passenger vehicle when used for the carriage of newspapers in that manner.

Question put and agreed to.
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