asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state, in respect of each administrative county in the turf area: (a) the quantity of turf produced by the county council; (b) the quantity disposed of; (c) the cost of production, distinguishing between wages, salaries, transportation charges, bank interest, rents, etc.; (d) the sum realised in respect of turf disposed of; and (e) the estimated value of stocks on hands, at the end of the year, in each of the years 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945 and 1946.
Written Answers. - Turf Produced.
Production and Disposals.
The Annual Report of the Department of Local Government and Public Health for 1943-44, Appendix XV, shows for each county the total production in 1941, 1942 and 1943 as ascertained by sales.
Statements below show:—
(a) Production and disposals for the 1944 season, and
(b) Estimated production for the 1945 season. Disposals for the 1945 season are subject to a further check. It is not yet possible to ascertain by sales the particulars of production for the 1946 season as there is still unmoved turf on the bogs.
Costs of Production.
Information on the cost of production of turf on the roadside from each of the five crops 1941 to 1945 (inclusive) for Messrs. Fuel Importers, Limited, can be found in a reply to a question by Deputy P. Beegan on the 2nd April, 1946 (Vol. 100, cols. 942, 943 and 944 of Official Reports). As regards the 1945 crop, the following costs of production per ton have since been reported, viz.:—
|
s. |
d. |
|
|
Clare |
33 |
8 |
|
Donegal |
29 |
0 |
|
Galway |
29 |
7 |
|
Kerry |
51 |
4 |
|
Kildare |
41 |
4 |
|
Kilkenny |
39 |
4 |
|
Leix |
48 |
5 |
|
Leitrim |
52 |
6 |
|
Cork |
37 |
0 |
|
Limerick |
47 |
2 |
|
Longford |
40 |
7 |
|
Mayo |
26 |
4 |
|
Meath |
51 |
8 |
|
Roscommon |
46 |
10 |
|
Sligo |
32 |
0 |
|
Tipperary, North |
54 |
3 |
|
Wicklow |
56 |
6 |
The above figures given do not include costs of loading and delivery charges to local railhead. The overall average costs were as follows:—
|
Crop |
Roadside Cost |
Loading and Delivery to local railhead |
Total |
|||||
|
s. |
d. |
s. |
d. |
s. |
d. |
|||
|
1941 |
34 |
8 |
11 |
9 |
46 |
5 |
||
|
1942 |
33 |
4 |
8 |
2 |
41 |
6 |
||
|
1943 |
33 |
1 |
10 |
7 |
43 |
8 |
||
|
1944 |
36 |
5 |
9 |
0½ |
45 |
5½ |
||
|
1945 |
36 |
0 |
9 |
4 |
45 |
4 |
The costs for 1946 cannot be ascertained until balances of turf on hands have been disposed of.
Items of Cost.
The reply given on the 2nd April, 1946, to a question by Deputy P. Beegan (Official Report, Vol. 100, col. 941) gives an analysis of the cost of production on the roadside of the 1944 turf. An analysis on the same lines of costs in earlier years is not available but it is unlikely that the percentages would show any appreciable differences. Some checking remains to be carried out on the accounts of the 1945 crop.
Sums Realised by County Councils.
The Annual Report of the Department of Local Government and Public Health for 1943-44, Appendix XV, Table IV, contains particulars of expenditure and receipts up to the 31st March, 1944. The position on the 31st March, 1946, is set out in attached statement. Figures up to the 31st March, 1947, are not yet available but up to the 31st December, 1946, the total expenditure was £6,623,074, and the receipts £6,063,732.
Estimated Value of Stocks on Hands.
The estimated total value of stocks on the bogs or on the roadside was as follows:—
|
31st March, 1944 |
£180,000 |
|
31st March, 1945 |
£270,000 |
|
31st March, 1946 |
£150,000 |
A table showing the estimate for each county will be compiled and sent to the Deputy. Estimates for 1941-42 and 1942-43 are not available.
1944 TURF PRODUCTION SCHEME
COUNTY COUNCIL PRODUCTION ASCERTAINED BY SALE.
|
County Council |
Total Production |
Fuel Importers (Éire) Ltd. |
Local Authorities |
Other Purchasers |
|
Carlow |
2,705 |
— |
2,705 |
— |
|
Cavan |
3,985 |
— |
3,412 |
573 |
|
Clare |
23,338 |
21,257 |
2,081 |
— |
|
Cork |
19,238 |
10,043 |
7,176 |
2,028 |
|
Donegal |
45,834 |
44,248 |
1,473 |
113 |
|
Dublin |
6,674 |
— |
6,674 |
— |
|
Galway |
98,037 |
96,008 |
1,952 |
77 |
|
Kerry |
60,886 |
60,847 |
39 |
— |
|
Kildare |
4,866 |
1,631 |
3,235 |
— |
|
Kilkenny |
6,862 |
2,540 |
4,322 |
— |
|
Laoighis |
17,317 |
14,214 |
2,642 |
461 |
|
Leitrim |
10,292 |
8,263 |
2,020 |
9 |
|
Limerick |
13,159 |
5,502 |
7,568 |
89 |
|
Longford |
21,398 |
20,043 |
1,299 |
56 |
|
Louth |
3,924 |
3,024 |
900 |
— |
|
Mayo |
87,761 |
73,277 |
1,314 |
13,170 |
|
Meath |
13,437 |
8,916 |
*2,324 |
*2,197 |
|
Monaghan |
12,162 |
— |
8,384 |
3,778 |
|
Offaly |
18,044 |
17,733 |
256 |
55 |
|
Roscommon |
44,864 |
42,877 |
1,567 |
420 |
|
Sligo |
8,458 |
8,410 |
48 |
— |
|
Tipperary N. |
17,178 |
14,189 |
1,227 |
1,762 |
|
Tipperary S. |
11,081 |
— |
5,581 |
5,500 |
|
Waterford |
4,853 |
70 |
2,298 |
2,485 |
|
Westmeath |
16,763 |
16,067 |
696 |
— |
|
Wexford |
1,873 |
— |
1,873 |
— |
|
Wicklow |
10,176 |
4,228 |
5,898 |
50 |
|
TOTALS |
585,165 |
473,378 |
78,964 |
32,823 |
*Subject to further review.
EXPENDITURE AND RECEIPTS IN RESPECT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL TURF PRODUCTION SCHEMES UP TO 31ST MARCH, 1946.
|
County |
Expenditure |
Receipts |
Net Debit |
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
Carlow |
30,755 |
24,354 |
6,401 |
|
Cavan |
67,548 |
58,755 |
8,793 |
|
Clare |
283,629 |
269,075 |
14,554 |
|
Cork |
191,524 |
168,774 |
22,750 |
|
Donegal |
559,506 |
518,233 |
41,262 |
|
Dublin |
67,694 |
66,579 |
1,115 |
|
Galway |
844,755 |
800,810 |
43,945 |
|
Kerry |
571,295 |
511,728 |
59,567 |
|
Kildare |
55,984 |
54,544 |
1,440 |
|
Kilkenny |
52,841 |
53,338 |
Cr. 497 |
|
Laoighis |
148,211 |
134,538 |
13,673 |
|
Leitrim |
86,899 |
74,075 |
12,824 |
|
Limerick |
179,773 |
149,303 |
30,470 |
|
Longford |
175,343 |
163,222 |
12,121 |
|
Louth |
53,585 |
45,342 |
8,243 |
|
Mayo |
604,931 |
577,541 |
27,390 |
|
Meath |
175,900 |
153,064 |
22,836 |
|
Monaghan |
115,061 |
94,858 |
20,203 |
|
Offaly |
111,922 |
106,757 |
5,165 |
|
Roscommon |
407,549 |
379,819 |
27,730 |
|
Sligo |
121,564 |
108,608 |
12,956 |
|
Tipperary, N. |
285,357 |
240,182 |
45,175 |
|
Tipperary, S. |
152,584 |
98,549 |
54,045 |
|
Waterford |
65,039 |
52,347 |
12,692 |
|
Westmeath |
125,420 |
118,890 |
6,530 |
|
Wexford |
9,530 |
7,667 |
1,863 |
|
Wicklow |
174,009 |
165,470 |
8,539 |
|
TOTALS |
5,718,208 |
5,196,423 |
521,785 |
|
County Council |
Production— 1945 Season |
|
Tons |
|
|
Carlow |
— |
|
Cavan |
3,018 |
|
Clare |
15,473 |
|
Cork |
11,913 |
|
Donegal |
45,278 |
|
Dublin |
4,039 |
|
Galway |
71,886 |
|
Kerry |
34,437 |
|
Kildare |
5,107 |
|
Kilkenny |
4,772 |
|
Laoighis |
12,278 |
|
Leitrim |
5,566 |
|
Limerick |
8,163 |
|
Longford |
20,001 |
|
Louth |
2,843 |
|
Mayo |
56,668 |
|
Meath |
14,044 |
|
Monaghan |
6,027 |
|
Offaly |
12,518 |
|
Roscommon |
32,661 |
|
Sligo |
4,763 |
|
Tipperary, N.R. |
13,487 |
|
Tipperary, S.R. |
5,952 |
|
Waterford |
2,135 |
|
Westmeath |
13,707 |
|
Wexford |
— |
|
Wicklow |
10,887 |
|
TOTAL |
417,623 |
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state, in respect of each county council, the amount of the overdraft, for the purpose of turf production, outstanding at 31st December in each of the years 1943 to 1946 inclusive; the total of these overdrafts; and the sum paid as bank interest in each of these years by each county council.
Particulars of the overdrafts of county councils for turf production at 31st March, 1944, 31st March, 1945, and 31st March, 1946, and the sums paid as interest on overdrafts during the financial years ended on these dates have been furnished in reply to questions by Deputy R. Ua Maolchatha on 10th October, 1945, and on 6th November, 1946 (Official Report —vol. 98, cols. 46 and 47 and vol. 103, cols. 343, 344 and 345). Particulars for the year ended 31st March, 1947, are not yet available but when they are I shall send them to the Deputy. It has been the practice to obtain this information at the end of financial rather than calendar years.