asked the Minister for Supplies whether he is aware that in many parts of the City of Dublin coal is purchased by the stone; that at present coal so sold is being charged for at the rate of 6½d. and 7d. a stone, which is the equivalent of 86/8 and 93/4 a ton; and if he will state what he proposes to do to prevent poor persons being charged these exorbitant prices.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supplies and Price of Coal.
I am aware that coal is purchased in stone and bag lots by a large section of the community in Dublin and that for a short period up to a recent date a wide variety of prices existed for coal sold in this manner; this was due to exceptional circumstances in regard to both the supply and the quality of the coal available.
Arrangements have now been made by my Department as a result of which it is hoped to maintain an adequate supply of coal during the period of the emergency for the consumers in question. The arrangements also provide for maintaining uniformity in the quality of the coal to be supplied in so far as circumstances will permit, and I have made an order fixing the retail price at a maximum of 6d. per stone.
asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state the wholesale price at which coal is at present sold in the City of Dublin to (a) bell-men, (b) the smaller coal distributors, who serve the poorer districts in the city.
Until a recent date the wholesale prices at which coal was sold in the City of Dublin to (a) bell-men, and (b) the smaller coal distributors, varied considerably owing to differences in the costs and quality of the coals supplied. By arrangement with my Department uniform wholesale prices to these traders have now been fixed as follows: (a) To bell-men 63/- per ton. (b) To small coal distributors who serve the poorer districts of the city (hucksters), 68/- per ton.
asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state what fraction of their normal previous purchases of coal is at present being supplied to (a) bellmen and (b) the the smaller coal distributors, who serve the poorer districts in the City of Dublin.
Bellmen and the smaller coal distributors or hucksters, who serve the poorer districts in the City of Dublin are at present receiving 100 per cent. of their normal requirements for that purpose.
Mr. Byrne
Slates and stones.
Can the Minister say since when that has been arranged?
That arrangement has been in operation for some time in theory; it is now working more smoothly in practice.
I take it that the Minister is aware that when the theory was in operation a lot of poor people in the city were not able to get the necessary quantities of coal?
That is only partially true. Those bellmen are each attached to an individual merchant. Whenever a merchant was without coal, his bell-men were without coal, but other bell-men served by other merchants had coal. The arrangement now involves a central supply depot from which all the bellmen will be supplied when their own merchants are not in a position to supply them.
Do I understand that the same applies to small coal distributors?
Yes; they are in the same position.
Is the Minister aware that there were small coal distributors in the city who, a fortnight or ten days ago, were reduced to about a quarter of their normal supplies, and that as a result of that some of the poor people in the city were very badly off for coal?
It is true that there was a period when very little coal was available, as a result of which a number of restrictions had to be imposed, but the arrangement now in force will ensure that those who supply the poorer sections of the people with small quantities of coal will get their full normal requirements.
And they may expect that that will continue?
It will continue as long as it is possible to do it.
Would the Minister say whether the coal imports now are practically equivalent to the imports for the same period of last year, or whether there has been a falling off in the imports?
It is difficult, without having a complete examination of the figures, to say to what extent coal imports during the past months would represent the normal imports for that time of the year. It is only in the last month or so that exceptional difficulties have arisen. Those difficulties are partially due to problems relating to shipping; they are partially due to the fact that the coal available to us in sufficient quantity is of much poorer quality or of different quality to that which previously was imported, and some merchants were reluctant to import that coal so long as they thought there was any prospect of getting better quality. Now that it is quite clear that we have got to take the coal available, the supply position has improved somewhat.
Does the Minister demand and receive a daily or monthly return of the coal imported into the country?
I do not think it is either daily or monthly. I think it is weekly.