asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state under what arrangement the road goods services of a corporation like the Great Southern Railways have sufficient petrol to maintain distributing services to small towns, while individual lorry owners in these towns, who depend on the earnings of their lorry for their livelihood, and whose services are cheaper and more convenient to local merchants, are unable to get supplies to carry on their essential work; if, further, he will in future cease to so discriminate between the corporations and the driver-owner of small lorries in the matter of petrol allocation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Petrol Supplies.
The position regarding stocks and future supplies of petrol has been such that it has not hitherto been possible to grant allowances to all owners of motor lorries, but I am making a concession in their favour for the remainder of the present month and an announcement on the subject is being issued to-day. There is no discrimination in favour of the Great Southern Railways or other corporations over other licensed hauliers, all of whose requirements were reduced by the same percentage. I presume the Great Southern Railways have reorganised their transport to give the best possible service to all areas within the limits of the petrol made available to them.
Is the Minister in a position to make any statement—it may well be that he is not — in regard to petrol supplies for itinerant bread vans?
All lorry owners who have not received petrol this month so far will receive a ration for the rest of the month. An announcement to that effect is being made to-day.
And that includes bread vans?
That includes bread vans.
asked the Minister for Supplies if it is a fact that petrol allowances for clergymen and doctors are made on a uniform scale, whether they live in an urban or rural area; and if he is aware that it is inequitable to give the same allowance to a doctor in a remote scattered district in West Cork as to a doctor working in the cities of Cork or Dublin, where the area of work is restricted, and where public means of locomotion are available; and if he will reconsider an adjustment of allowances in such cases.
Owing to the very limited quantity of motor spirit available since the beginning of this year, the allowances to clergymen and doctors have had to be made on a uniform scale. While I cannot accept the Deputy's general contention that it is inequitable to give the same allowance to a doctor in a country district as to a doctor in the city, I recognise that the needs of all doctors and clergymen are not uniform. An attempt, however, to distribute the limited quantity of petrol available for those classes on a basis of individual needs, during the present month, would have involved an examination of the circumstances of individual cases which would have been impracticable, and would, furthermore, have involved considerable delay in the issue of licences. If the supply position should improve, arrangements will be made to give supplementary allowances in exceptional cases.
Is the Minister aware that a very large number of clergymen in County Mayo have got no coupons for the present month and have heard nothing from the Department, although they made application in the usual manner?
I am not so aware.
Would the Minister consider, as between parochial clergy and clergy who have no parochial duties, giving preference to the consideration of the claims of parochial clergy, because I know cases in which parochial clergy have not received their coupons, whereas clergymen engaged in colleges and in work of that kind have got their coupons? It is very easy to understand how that might have happened, but I suggest to the Minister that he might consider preferring, for purposes of consideration, the claims of parochial clergy.
So long as the position is that only a very limited quantity is available, the task of carrying out an examination of the circumstances of individual cases is entirely beyond the resources of my Department and would involve very considerable delay. If the supply position should improve so that we can issue a basic ration to everybody, we can deal with special cases by means of a supplementary ration.
Might I ask the Minister on what machinery he relies for ascertaining the exact quantity of petrol likely to be required by any particular class?
So far as the classes we are now referring to are concerned — doctors, clergymen, veterinary surgeons and other users of private cars—there is no such examination. A flat-rate allowance is made according to the class in which a person is, irrespective of his personal circumstances. In the case of commercial users of petrol, there is an individual examination based on the circumstances of the trade in which they are engaged.
What machinery exists for deciding the flat rate?
I decide it in relation to the quantity of petrol available.
asked the Minister for Supplies if, in view of the very extensive area that is likely to be put under cultivation of sugar beet in the coming season, he will state what steps will be taken to ensure that sufficient supplies of petrol and motor fuel will be available to transport the crop from the farm to the factories, and if he can now assure the growers that if the factories are in a position to work, beet will not be left on their hands.
Special consideration is being given to the problem of making provision for the transport of sugar beet and other crops. There is no reason to believe that such crops will be left on farmers' hands.
Can the Minister not give a more definite assurance to farmers before they put in the beet crop — the Minister surely appreciates the necessity for it — that beet will not be left on their hands if it cannot be conveyed to the factory, and more information as to the measures he proposes to take to ensure that a supply will be available?
I cannot add anything to the answer I have already given to the Deputy.
Surely, the Minister can say that, whether we get it there in horse-carts or in wheelbarrows, we will take it from the farmers and get it to the factories somehow. Surely, it is necessary to say that so that nobody need be afraid of sowing a crop on that account.
It did not strike me that it was necessary to say that.
I take it that the Government undertakes to do that.
asked the Minister for Supplies if he is aware that during the last couple of weeks only one petrol company was in a position to deliver supplies of vaporising oil for tractors while customers of other companies were without any supply, and if, in order to ensure an equal supply to all tractor owners of whatever amount is available, he will consider pooling amongst the companies concerned all present stocks and future supplies.
An arrangement for the pooling of stocks of vaporising oil has been made by the oil distributing companies, and is at present in operation.
Is the Minister aware that there is no vaporising oil in the country except a very limited quantity in the hands of one distributing company and that a large number of tractors have been immobilised for the past fortnight for want of a drop of fuel? The owners of the tractors, in pursuance of the advice given them, wrote to the Minister that they could not get a supply of oil and they got no reply. Furthermore, representatives of the oil companies called on the Minister and warned him that there was no vaporising oil here but that they were prepared to make up a fuel — a compound, I think, of paraffin and petrol — for those special tractors which will not work on paraffin but must have a more volatile fuel. Is the Minister aware that the scheme to make this compound-fuel is being held up because the Revenue Commissioners will not consent to its preparation?
It is quite true that supplies of power kerosene are very low but a substitute fuel, consisting of kerosene and petrol, is at present being distributed.
I assure the Minister that I am not misinformed on this matter. If the Minister is being told that I am misinformed, I beg of him to get in touch with his officials and check up his information again. As late as this very morning, a stoppage has occurred. I do not believe that the Minister wants that and I, certainly, do not want it. I assure him, however, that this morning a stoppage occurred and that the compound-fuel was not being distributed. All I want the Minister to say is that, if there is an obstacle in the way of the distribution of that compound fuel, he will remove it to-day. I appreciate that his difficulties are very great but will he give that undertaking?
Yes. It is obvious that I must give that undertaking, having regard to the fact that my information is that this fuel is already being distributed and that the obstacles have already been removed.
That is the danger. I suggest that whoever told the Minister that incorrectly informed him. I ask him to seek out the obstacle and to take whatever steps are necessary so that these people will have supplies made available to them. The Minister advised these people to make representations to him if they could not obtain supplies. They took the Minister at his word, and the Minister has failed them. If they take his word again to-day, can they rest assured that this compound fuel will go out to-day?
The Deputy can rest assured that the compound fuel will go out. The distribution of the available supplies of kerosene has not been facilitated by a number of retail distributors and it may be necessary to bring them under control.
Vaporising oil is bought direct from the petrol companies and not from retailers. I can tell the Minister that two big distributing companies had no vaporising oil, and one had a certain amount on hands.
Will the Deputy sit down and read the reply I have given?
Mr. Morrissey
But the tractors are idle.
Question No. 13.
The Minister comes into the House without having proper information on the matter. I should like to get a definite assurance from the Minister——
Have you, a Chinn Comhairle, called the next question?
Yes. Question No. 13.
asked the Minister for Supplies if he will consider making available a supply of petrol to farmers with private cars used exclusively for their business who have no alternative means of transport, and so ensure that their activity in the production of food for the coming year will not be hampered in any way.
Since the beginning of this year, the quantity of petrol in the country has not been sufficient to make any allocation to owners of private cars, with very few exceptions. If and when adequate supplies of petrol become available and the prospect regarding future supplies improves, special consideration will be given to the case of farmers and other persons who use their private cars for business purposes with a view to giving them some supplies.
Is the Minister aware that many farmers have to carry out tillage operations at a considerable distance from their homes on out-farms and places where they have taken conacre and have representations been made to him by the Department of Agriculture in this connection?
By the Department of Agriculture and by others. Petrol for such people is not at present available.