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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Nov 1944

Vol. 95 No. 8

Ceisteanna. — Questions. Oral Answers. - Connemara Live-stock Prices.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if, in view of the public complaints of inadequate transport in Connemara, he will explore the possibilities of establishing a system of co-operative buying of live stock in that area.

I am informed that, generally speaking, adequate transport is available for the live stock purchased at fairs in Connemara, and that difficulties that have arisen have been due to the fact that adequate notice of requirements was not given to the railway company. It would not be feasible for my Department to establish a system of co-operative buying of live stock in the Connemara area.

Who is supposed to give notice to the railway company as to the requirements of a fair? God be with the days when the railway company were very quick to go around and get traffic at a fair, without the local people being compelled to go, hat in hand, to the railway company begging them to take cattle. Is this the first manifestation of the monopoly? Who is supposed to tell the railway company what accommodation is required? Is it not their business to send down inspectors to satisfy themselves that the accommodation is there and not bring the country people begging and crawling for accommodation?

A question on the same lines was put to the Minister for Supplies and he would have adequately dealt with the Deputy's supplementary. I do not deal so much with the railway company or its workings, but I understand that the buyers of cattle must give prior notice to the railway company of the approximate number of cattle they may require to be shifted.

Might I say to the Minister that that is the purest ballyhoo? The railway company's inspectors always came down to Ballaghaderreen and scouted around to find out what might reasonably be expected to be the traffic and their aim is to provide, or used to be in the old days, abundant waggons to carry all the cattle, with a few over. Now we are told that, unless we go with our hats in our hands to the railway company, it is our fault if they have not sufficient waggons available. If that is the case, we will have to go in sackcloth and ashes before we can buy a railway ticket.

May I ask a question?

There are other Deputies who have questions lower down on the Order Paper who will be damnified.

Surely the Minister has received a resolution from the county committee of agriculture that at the fair of Oughterard, County Galway, last week 50 foals purchased there could not be brought from the fair owing to the Great Southern Railways not supplying lorries? The Minister for Agriculture says it is not a matter for him, that it is a matter for the Minister for Supplies.

The Deputy must understand, of course, that the Minister who deals with railways is the Minister for Industry and Commerce in most cases and the Minister for Supplies in other cases. If I get complaints I pass them on to the Minister for Industry and Commerce. I must say, however, for the Deputy's information, that it has been brought out to-day in a question that there are not sufficient waggons in the country to go round.

That is not the excuse you gave. The excuse was that if I gave notice in time I could get all the waggons I wanted.

Do not be so quick. There are not sufficient waggons to go round and there is all the more reason, therefore, why waggons should not be wasted. The cattle buyers need not go into sackcloth and ashes or go with their hats in their hands. They can write a note to the railway company saying that they want so many waggons. Is it not reasonable that the cattle buyers should do that and not waste waggons which are so badly wanted for the shifting of wheat, beet, etc.?

Could the railway company not send down some of the travelling inspectors, who are continually going up and down, to see how many waggons will meet the requirements or how many cattle are in the fair? Why has the day dawned when we must go to the railway company, instead of the railway company doing what they always did in order to ascertain the number of waggons required?

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