asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that coal importers on the southern coast have been promised limited cargoes of coal from Welsh ports as and when small coasters are available; and if he will state if official permission will be given to such importers to sell such coal for ordinary local domestic use, especially in parts of West Cork, such as Kinsale, Courtmacsherry, etc., where remoteness from bogs makes the supply of turf precarious and excessively expensive.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Coal Imports.
I am not aware of any offers to importers on the southern coast of cargoes of coal from Welsh ports as suggested by the Deputy. In any event, coal distribution arrangements are based on the total supplies likely to be available and I could not undertake, while the present scarcity of coal obtains, to grant exceptional treatment in the matter of supplies for domestic use in any particular area.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether any steps have been taken to secure imports of coal for (a) industrial, and (b) domestic purposes for the coming year from countries other than Great Britain.
Inquiries have been and are still being made as to the possibility of procuring coal from countries other than Great Britain, but so far they have met with no success.
Will the Minister say from what countries he has been particularly inquiring?
The United States and certain countries on the Continent.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether any estimate has been made of the total amount of coal which it would be necessary to obtain from Great Britain for (a) industrial, and (b) domestic purposes in order to provide for our needs from now until the end of April, 1947; whether any negotiations or discussions have taken place on this matter, and if so, with what results; if he will also state the total imports of coal suitable (a) for industrial, and (b) for domestic purposes expected from Great Britain between now and the 30th April, 1947; the extent to which such expected imports will fall short of our normal requirements; and the estimated amount of coal which may be available for domestic purposes during that period.
Allocations of fuel for industrial and domestic purposes are normally planned at least six months in advance. In the existing supply circumstances such allocations are necessarily based on the quantities of turf and other fuels, in addition to coal, expected to be available for distribution. Any estimate of our requirements of coal must have regard, inter alia, to the question of quality. Discussions with the appropriate authorities in Great Britain are constantly taking place with a view to securing improvement in both the quality and quantity of our coal supplies.
I am assuming that the recent average weekly rate of imports of 26,000 tons will be maintained, and this quantity will be sufficient to meet the requirements of the public utility concerns while at the same time preserving the existing scale of allowances for general industrial purposes. Our imports do not include any coal of the pre-war household quality, and it is not possible to state when the resumption of imports of such coal may be expected.
Will the Minister say whether any estimate has been made of the coal that would normally be required to meet our full industrial and domestic requirements?
About double the quantity we are getting at the moment.
Might I inquire if the Minister has made any representations to the appropriate authority in Great Britain with a view to securing superior quality coal in the strictly limited field of coal required for smithies and individual blacksmiths as I have reason to believe that if he would make representations in regard to that strictly limited requirement a better quality coal would be made available?
There is very little likelihood.
Will the Minister make such representations?
They have been made frequently.
I am informed they have not.
The Deputy is misinformed.
I am not misinformed.