asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is prepared to permit privately owned lorries to operate in the various towns throughout the country for the transport of live stock, as complaints have been made by cattle buyers that, owing to the severe weather and the shortage of fodder, it is unsafe to drive cattle, as they are both weak and snowblind, and also, as several private lorries are lying idle which could be utilised to assist both buyers and sellers of live stock.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Transport of Live Stock by Lorries.
Córas Iompair Éireann are prepared to hire any available lorries which are suitable for the carriage of live stock to supplement their own fleet and the private lorries which they have already taken on hire for this purpose. There is no good reason why any owner who has an idle lorry should not hire it to Córas Iompair Éireann. By this means the fullest possible use can be made of all available transport on the most essential traffics.
Will the Minister say if there is any good reason why the owner of a private lorry could not use it himself? He could probably do so more efficiently and more economically than Córas Iompair Éireann.
I do not think so. I think far more effective use of lorries suitable for transport of live stock—and not many of them are suitable for that purpose—can be made by Córas Iompair Éireann.
There are very few lorries in which I have not seen live stock transported.