asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the factors which are taken into consideration when deciding on applications for permission to bring turf into Dublin; and if he will take steps to ensure that in all cases where persons or associations or parish councils have arranged or can arrange for the cutting and saving of turf, which otherwise would not be cut or saved, all facilities will be given to them to enable them to send that turf to Dublin before next winter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turf Supplies for Dublin.
The conditions were published in full in an advertisement which appeared in the daily newspapers on the 17th March last.
Apart from turf or fuel merchants, the main factors governing the issue of movement licences in respect of turf for household use are that the turf in question has been produced by an individual applicant or group or association of applicants either (a) by his or their own personal labour or (b) by labour directly employed by them and recruited either outside the scheduled turf area or, through employment exchanges, from special areas in the congested districts. Licences are granted without these conditions where the turf is intended for free distribution to the necessitous poor. Any person who complies with the regulations will have no difficulty in obtaining the necessary licence.
The Minister did not reply to part two of my question, in which I asked if he would take steps to ensure that in all cases where persons or associations or parish councils have arranged, or can arrange for the cutting and saving of turf, which otherwise would not be cut or saved, all facilities will be given to them to enable them to send that turf to Dublin before next winter. Will the Minister allow that to be done? Will he allow people in the country who have relatives and friends here in the city and who offer to send them a ton or half a ton of turf, and will cut it themselves for them in the country, to send it to Dublin and thus ease the claim on the national pool later on?
No.
Will the Minister give any reason why a relative cannot cut turf for his relations and family in the City of Dublin which would thus ease the claim on the national pool? I am not asking that turf be drawn from the pool. I want a special effort, as the Minister does, made in connection with the cutting of turf. I consider that to send it to friends and relations in Dublin would ease the demand on the national pool later on. Will the Minister give any explanation why that will not be allowed?
The Deputy knows as well as I do that any such concession would be abused and that it would be impossible to prevent its abuse. If people in the country are prepared to cut more turf it is their duty to cut it and to cut all the turf that can be produced.
If they do not want to sell it?
If they do not, they can give it to the national pool.
Are they to give it to the national pool and leave their friends and relations in Dublin without it? Is that the position?
The Deputy may want to abolish the ration of turf but the Government does not approve of that course.
Is the Minister aware that last year and this year some people have not yet got their ration? I am asking him to do this in order to ease the situation before the same set of conditions occurs again. Does the Minister realise that last year people had to wait in queues until two and three o'clock on a Sunday morning in order to get fuel?
That is not a supplementary question.
Will the Minister not allow the extra family labour——
The Deputy is repeating the question.