asked the Minister for Supplies if he is aware of the great hardship inflicted by reason of the petrol rationing scheme on commercial travellers depending for their livelihoods on the maintenance of their cars on the road; and, if so, if he will take steps to secure for these travellers a more sympathetic and expeditious response to their applications for additional supplies of petrol.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Petrol Rationing Scheme.
Commercial travellers as a class are being treated as generously as the circumstances permit. They are being granted up to three times the normal allowance of petrol, and this allowance is issued in priority to practically all other petrol users. From information received in my Department commercial travellers find this quantity sufficient for the carrying on of their business. A certain number are, however, making claims for further allowances but, having regard to the quantity of petrol already available for distribution and the consequent necessity for rationing, it is impossible to meet their full claims without detriment to other users. Their cases will receive further sympathetic consideration in the event of an improvement in the present position in regard to petrol supplies.
The Minister may recall that recently he stated that there was an immense volume of correspondence in his Department which could not be reached upon. Has that accumulation of arrears of correspondence been cleared, or when may we expect that the Department will be able to deal with any enquiries received from Deputies?
It has been possible to deal with the correspondence addressed to the Department in relation to additional rationing. Applications are being considered and have been mostly disposed of, I think, already. That has been done without replying in detail to the numerous letters, received.
While fully appreciating the Minister's difficulty, I want to know what happened in cases where people had not got ration allowances and who wrote in since. Will these letters be opened and dealt with in the ordinary course?
I think most of the applications for additional rationing have been disposed of.
I mean where ration cards have gone astray. If a person writes in now can he expect that the letter will be attended to soon?
He can.