asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that a number of Ferguson tractors have been left idle in County Kilkenny, because of the irregularity in petrol supplies and because certain owners of Ferguson tractors have difficulty in securing petrol coupons for such tractors; and if he will take immediate steps to ensure regular petrol supplies to tractor owners.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Petrol Supplies to County Kilkenny.
The vast majority of tractors used for agricultural work are operated on tractor vaporising oil. In view of the need for ensuring that there should be no hold up in tillage operations because tractor owners were left short of vaporising oil, I made arrangements with the oil distributing companies to give priority in distribution to vaporising oil. There was a risk that this might cause temporary shortages of petrol here and there. In fact, I understand from inquiries made of the oil companies that there is no shortage of petrol in Kilkenny. There are substantial stocks of petrol in the local depôt.
Ferguson tractors are petrol-driven. Special arrangements have been adopted to give priority to applications for petrol coupons for agricultural tractors and I am satisfied that there is no avoidable delay in dealing with such applications in my Department. Complaints were received on several occasions from the Chief Agricultural Officer in Kilkenny of delay in issuing coupons for newly-purchased Ferguson tractors. In all such cases, it was found that no application for petrol for agricultural work had been made to my Department.
I may add that there is an arrangement whereby the local officers of the Department of Agriculture immediately advise my Department if any urgent cases arise in which tractor owners are short either of coupons or of petrol and immediate steps are taken to deal with such cases.