asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that the frequent shortages of petrol in Cork City and County have occasioned serious loss and inconvenience to the people concerned; and if so, if he will take the necessary steps to ensure a constant and equitable supply of petrol, in future, to this area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Petrol Supply.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of the acute shortage of petrol and paraffin oil throughout Cork City and County; and if so, if he will state what steps he intends to take to compel the oil distributing companies to fulfil their obligations to the general public in this matter.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that, for a considerable time past, there has been serious dislocation in the petrol supplies to garages in West Cork, with consequent grave stoppages in the supplies of essential goods over that area, as the branch railway lines there have not been functioning; and if he will impress on the oil distributing companies the necessity of giving a priority service in future to these remote but important districts.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of further complaints regarding shortage of petrol supplies; and if he will institute an inquiry into the frequent delays and difficulties arising from the non-receipt of petrol supplies in Cork.
I propose to take questions Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8 together.
I am informed that exceptional weather conditions recently interfered with the normal running of the coastwise tanker which services Cork with petroleum products. A tanker landed a cargo of oil in Cork on the 4th instant, however, and a further cargo was loaded at an English port last week-end for delivery in Cork.
In addition to the tanker's services, road and rail transport are used for the transport of oil in the Cork area. I understand that the whole-time service of 30 rail tank cars would be required to deal with the full requirements of the Cork area. There are, however, only 80 such cars available for motor spirit for the whole country and it is impossible for the companies to divert additional rail tank cars during such time as the coastwise tanker is operating to the other ports serviced by it, namely Foynes and Sligo. The companies inform me that they have now received additional coastwise assistance from English ports for Cork City and Dublin and that with the better weather conditions likely to prevail during the coming months improved running will be obtained from the tanker which is permanently at their disposal.
I have several times impressed on the companies that it is an obligation on them to provide adequate storage and transport facilities to secure the prompt distribution of supplies and I have been assured that they are taking every step towards this end. They claim that their difficulties are due to the shortage of tanks, which have to be imported, and I have offered to give them all the assistance in my power to secure supplies of tanks.
Is the Minister aware that while petrol was extremely short in Cork City and County, it was available in plentiful quantities in Kerry and Limerick?
That is quite likely. I have explained that the shortage in Cork was due to the fact that the tanker bringing supplies was held up by bad weather.
Does the Minister consider it just that one section of industrialists—the agricultural community— should be compelled by law and fines to provide essential foodstuffs for the people and they have no guaranteed profits, while the distributors of oil, petrol and kerosene have a guaranteed profit and are not compelled to carry out their functions to the community? Does the Minister think that that differentiation between one class of industrialists and another is just?
The Deputy must put his supplementary question on a matter of fact and not ask for an expression of opinion.
Those are facts, and pretty stubborn facts.
The Deputy is asking for an expression of opinion.
I am asking the Minister what he is going to do about it.
The Deputy asked for an expression of opinion.
I have asked the Minister what steps he will take to compel the distributors of oil and petrol to do their jobs the same as we are compelled to do ours.
All possible steps have been taken to improve the facilities at the disposal of the companies and induce the companies to add to these facilities.
There is very little use in our telling that to the district justices when they fine us for not tilling our land.
Is not the Minister aware that there is considerable delay in the turnabout of railway oil wagons?
I am not so aware.
Is it not a fact that the oil companies complain of the delay in getting back their wagons?
There has, naturally, been some hold up in the return of empty wagons because of transport difficulties, but these matters have been discussed between the oil distributing companies and the transport companies, with satisfactory results.