asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if, in view of the difficulty experienced by the owners of threshing machines in securing reasonable or sufficient remunerative employment for these machines, he will amend the existing law so as to provide that they will be exempt from the payment of insurance under the Road Traffic Act, or in the alternative, introduce proposals for legislation to reduce substantially the amount required to be paid by the owners of these machines under the provisions of the aforesaid Act.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Road Traffic Act and Threshing Machines.
The whole question of compulsory insurance was very fully considered when the Road Traffic Bill was under examination throughout 1931, 1932 and 1933 and no case was made which would justify the exemption of threshing machines or any other class of mechanically propelled vehicle from the insurance provisions of the Act. No suggestion to amend the existing legislation can at present be entertained.
With regard to the amount to be paid by the owners of these machines it must be pointed out that insurance companies require a boiler insurance to be taken out when steam driven vehicles are being insured against third party risks. It is understood that insurance companies have found that the state of the boiler of the average machine is such as to render it dangerous to life and property. The amount to be paid by the owners of these machines is a matter of negotiation between the owners and the companies.