asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that serious shortages of petrol supplies recur in Cork City and County, which have an adverse effect on the industrial and commercial life of the city and county and tend to cause unemployment, and if he will take steps, in conjunction with the petrol distributing companies, to ensure that adequate supplies will be made available in future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Petrol Supplies.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 58 together.
There have been occasional shortages of oil products throughout the country on numerous occasions during the past few years and not merely during the past two months, as is implied in the question. These shortages have been due to irregularity in the receipt of supplies from abroad and to difficulties of internal distribution by the oil companies arising out of lack of equipment. The matter has been gone into with the distributing companies, who have been urged frequently and again very recently to take all possible steps to bring about an improvement in the present position, and I anticipate that by the building up of reserve stocks as well as by other measures the necessary improvement will be brought about in the near future. One of the companies has informed me that it is about to increase its storage capacity at Cork.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary state if the storage capacity to which he refers will be limited to one company and the other companies not permitted to use it?
I have no information on that. This company has decided to increase its storage capacity.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if those people in West Clare who failed to secure their ration of paraffin oil during the past few months can obtain the balances due to them in the immediate future or whether it is his intention to cancel all such outstanding rations.
Owing to the inability of the oil companies to overtake the arrears in deliveries and at the same time maintain current deliveries to meet rations they were directed to deliver kerosene only against current permits. Accordingly, persons who failed to secure their rations of paraffin oil for the period to 31st March, 1948, will not now be able to purchase these arrears of rations.