asked the Minister for Supplies whether he is aware that hundreds of householders are unable to secure supplies of paraffin oil because they are stated not to have registered in time; and whether he will direct the reopening of the paraffin register so that those not so far included may in future be given supplies, within the limit of the total quantity available for distribution.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supplies of Paraffin Oil.
I am not aware that householders are unable to obtain supplies of paraffin oil because they are stated not to have registered in time. A domestic consumer of paraffin, who is entitled under the regulations to a supply, but who has not yet registered with a licensed retailer, can effect his registration with such retailer at any time. Domestic users were advised by public advertisement on the 15th September to take immediate steps to register with their normal retailers and were warned that supplies might not be available for any domestic user during October who had not registered by the 30th September. Whilst every effort will be made to secure an equitable distribution of paraffin oil amongst domestic users generally, I cannot give an undertaking that supplies will be available for users who have not taken steps to secure registration.
Is the Minister aware that thousands of householders in this country notified their retail suppliers of paraffin oil that they wanted to get their monthly gallon from them; that those retailers forwarded to the Department of Industry and Commerce a statement of the number of persons who had registered with them, with the request that they should get a licence to purchase the appropriate gallonage of oil; that those retailers were then requested to give the name and address of each of the persons who had registered with them; that, by the time the Department had made up its mind that it wanted that information, 1st October had come and gone, whereupon the Department said: "Seeing that you, the shopkeeper, were late in effecting a registration, we will authorise you to purchase 20 per cent. of the paraffin that you purchased in 1940", with the result that the majority of paraffin retailers in this country, instead of having a gallon for each of their customers, had about half a pint; that a large part of the rural population of this country have, for the last month, been sitting in the dark, and that in one case at least a woman was delivered of her baby by the lights from the head-lamps of the doctor's car, which were projected through the window of the kitchen, where she had been carried, because there was no paraffin oil? That is a gross scandal.
The Deputy asked me whether I am aware that supplies of paraffin oil are not available to householders because they had not registered in time, and whether I would direct the reopening of the paraffin register so that those who had not registered could now do so. If the Deputy knew the regulations he would know that there is no limit to the time wherein a householder can effect a registration. He can do it at any time, and no householder failed to get paraffin oil because of any such regulation.
Wait a minute. Will the Minister now say that paraffin was issued to the retailers in sufficient quantity to give their retail customers the gallon that he promised them? I know that it was not. Will he guarantee now that, in the future, his Department will see that there is delivered to each retailer a gallon of oil for every person registered with him, and that the people will be able to get it?
The Deputy obviously did not read or understand his own question. He has now asked another question which I shall answer. Every retailer who complied with the regulations and who sent in an accurate return of his customers received a quantity sufficient to enable him to give the prescribed ration to each customer.
That is nonsense.
Of 18,000 licensed retailers 3,000 only supplied these particulars.
Mr. Morrissey
There was obviously something very wrong.
There was obviously something wrong, as the Deputy aptly remarks. From the information supplied by the retailers who had effected registration up to the middle of October, it was quite obvious that the number of persons supposed to have registered as consumers of paraffin and who were entitled to a supply—that is persons occupying households which were not equipped to receive a supply of gas or electric light—was about twice the total number in the whole country according to the census.
Will the Minister explain why in the town of Clonakilty some of the retailers, three or four, were able to give a gallon of oil each to their customers while others were not able to supply half that quantity?
Those who were able to supply the gallon were those who had complied with the regulations.
Is the Minister satisfied that it is fair to deprive householders in a rural area of their quota of oil because of some negligence on the part of retailers?
No, it is not, but by what means——
I registered in September and I have got only one quart of paraffin up to the present. I got a reply from the Minister's Department only a few days ago to the effect that Ellen O'Shea, who was the retailer concerned, had forgotten to do something which was announced over the radio or published in the Press. She did not happen apparently to see these notices in the Press, with the result that I, and everybody like me, have been deprived of our quota of paraffin oil. I am telling you what I have received for the months of September and October—one quart and no hope of getting any more. Mind you that is a very difficult situation for the people of the country.
Is the Minister aware that the situation will not be remedied under the present arrangements unless everybody stands by the radio when an emergency order is issued, to hear what is said?
People do not have to stand by the radio. They can read these advertisements which are published in all the local papers throughout the country.
Mr. Morrissey
No, they are not.
Well, in most of the local papers.
Mr. Morrissey
That is a different thing.
They are also published in all the daily papers. Therefore every available means is used to bring them to the attention of the public. I suggest that members of the public who are interested in these matters have an obligation to acquaint themselves with the regulations and to see that they are enforced if they want to get the benefit of the regulations. On many occasions during the course of the year we discussed the practicability of devising a ration scheme for paraffin oil, and I continually expressed the opinion that it was going to be a very difficult matter to issue the limited quantity of oil available to those who really required it and to exclude householders who did not require it. I want to repeat that it is not possible for the Department to do that unless we get wholehearted co-operation from retailers. That wholehearted co-operation was not given to us generally in September and, consequently, a number of people did not get their quota. I expect the position will have improved by November. In any case where there is a breakdown, it will be entirely due to the fact that the retailer concerned has not made himself aware of, or has not been willing to conform to the regulations.
Is the Minister not aware that in many cases where country shops have got licences they have found it quite impossible to persuade the oil lorry to deliver oil to them?
I know of no such case.
I shall give the Minister particulars of several cases. That is due to the fact that whereas in the past the retailer used to get 50 gallons at a time, which he sold in two or three months, and the lorry was quite willing to deliver that quantity, now the retailer can only get, say, 14 gallons a month, and the lorry driver simply says: "I am not going to deliver that small quantity of paraffin to him." Is the Minister aware that there are cases where people have gone with their licences and asked the oil company for the paraffin and they would not get their supply?
I know of no case where the oil companies have failed to deliver to a retailer the quantity of oil he is entitled to receive.
How does the Minister square his two statements—that there has not been conformity by retailers with the regulations and that, on the other hand, he has been supplied with the names of twice the number of consumers shown by the census?
Mr. Morrissey
Can the Minister give any explanation as to why 18,000 traders should go to the trouble of obtaining licences to sell paraffin oil and only 3,000 out of the 18,000 should trouble to comply with the Department's regulations to send the names and addresses of registered consumers? Is it not quite obvious that these regulations did not come to their attention?
So far as traders are concerned the regulations are sent to them by post.
Mr. Morrissey
Are we to understand that, although each of the 18,000 registered traders got this intimation by post, only 3,000 took the necessary steps to comply with the regulations?
That is correct.
Mr. Morrissey
I must say that is astonishing.
That is, took the necessary steps before the end of September.
Mr. Morrissey
I have got the full of my case of letters from traders and not in one instance have I been informed that they got these regulations by post.
Is the Minister aware that a big percentage of people in the rural areas do not read the daily papers? They read only the provincial papers. Is he aware that a number of these advertisements do not appear in some of the big provincial papers?
asked the Minister for Supplies if he will reconsider the position of the many retailers of paraffin oil who delayed or failed to advise his Department on the number of their registered customers, as a result of which these customers are now unable to be supplied with their monthly quota of one gallon.
Retailers of paraffin oil who delayed or failed to advise my Department of the number of their registered customers were issued with permits on the basis of their purchases in October, 1940. It is not possible to reconsider the position of these retailers for the current month. All licensed retailers have, however, been given another opportunity to furnish the Department with the number of their registered customers and supplies for November will be issued on this basis to all retailers who furnish the information, subject, of course, to the information proving accurate when checked.
Are they being advised by post in this case?
Yes.
When furnishing information as to the number of registered customers, is a retailer obliged to give the name and address of each customer or merely the total number of his customers?
He is not required to give the name and address of each customer, but he has got to have them registered on his premises.
And he need not send to the Department the name and address of each customer?
No, but if the number which he furnishes proves to be incorrect his name can be removed from the register of retailers.