asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the basis on which Messrs. Fuel Importers (Eire) Limited, supply turf by road transport from the Phoenix Park to bellmen in towns and villages in County Dublin; and if he is satisfied that the system in operation is fair inasmuch as bellmen in some villages are obliged to go a journey of six miles to the Phoenix Park dump, whereas bellmen in other villages at a similar distance are supplied by road transport.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bellmen's Turf Supplies.
The general practice of Fuel Importers (Eire) Limited, is to supply bellmen and other licensed fuel merchants in County Dublin towns and villages by diverting turf to them which would otherwise go to the dumps. The turf is ordinarily delivered by rail to the nearest station but road deliveries are made when transport considerations so require. I am satisfied that the present system of turf distribution by Fuel Importers (Eire) Limited which has developed from practical experience over a long period is in its general application as fair a system as can be devised.
Is the Minister aware that Dundrum, an area which has a rail service, is served by road by Fuel Importers, Limited, that Rathfarnham, which has no train service, is not served by road, and that Balbriggan, a considerable distance away, with a very adequate train service, is served by road while villages such as Castleknock are not so served? Would the Minister look into it again, and see if it is possible to divert some of the road transport which is not absolutely necessary to certain areas where there is no means of transport other than by road?
Rathfarnham is in the city area and the arrangements in the city area are different from those prevailing in the county area. In County Dublin, the bellmen are regarded as independent fuel merchants and treated as such. In the city area, the bellmen are attached to fuel merchants and the system of distributing turf to them derives from the system under which they drew coal before the war. It would not be practical to introduce in any part of the city area a system of distribution similar to that operating in County Dublin. So far as Dundrum is concerned, distribution is ordinarily by road and to send turf to Dundrum by rail would, I think, necessitate its being sent from the North Wall to Bray and then back to Dundrum. I am not familiar with the position concerning Balbriggan, but either road or rail is used by Fuel Importers, Limited, according as transport requirements necessitate.
So far as I can understand, the difficulty is that Fuel Importers, Ltd., have adopted a system under which Dundrum is served by road transport, although a train service is available. Rathfarnham cannot avail of a train service.
I do not agree that there is a train service to Dundrum suitable for turf distribution.
It was used for a while, but when coal supplies and train services were restricted, it was abandoned and they reverted to the road. The position is that Rathfarnham cannot avail of any train service, and I ask the Minister to make representations to Fuel Importers, Ltd., to alter the system and to serve places which have no train service by road and places where a train is available by rail.
I think Fuel Importers, Ltd., would run into a lot of difficulty if they departed from the borough boundary as the line of demarcation between the two systems.
A portion of Rathfarnham is in the city area but the bulk of the area is in County Dublin, and I think the same applies to Dundrum.