asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has under consideration the question of granting a general carriers' licence to private lorry owners who were engaged in turf, or similar haulage work, during the emergency, or of granting permission to them to carry for hire or reward.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - General Carriers' Licences.
The question of granting merchandise licences to private hauliers who were engaged in the transport of fuel during the emergency has been very fully considered. It has been necessary to take account of the serious position of public transport as a whole, and of the fact that the railway companies and the existing licensed hauliers are at present able to provide more than adequately for all the traffic offering. The difficulty can be appreciated from the fact that there are now on the roads about twice as many lorries owned by the public transport companies, licensed hauliers and private owners, as there were in 1938. The position of public transport is so serious that the Government have decided on an immediate comprehensive investigation of it. The admission of a large number of new entrants into the general road transport business when there is not now enough work to go around would create serious unemployment among the staffs of the public transport companies and licensed hauliers and would not in the long run, be in the interests either of the lorry owners or of the public generally.
Is the Minister aware that private lorry owners were promised, as a result of representations made to the Government, that legislation would be introduced to amend the 1943 Transport Act and that, because of these promises, people who had lorries, hung on to them although they might have been able to dispose of them otherwise? These are now idle so that such silly statements should not be made by members of the Government until such time as they would be in a position to carry out their promises to these people.
I do not believe that the statement if it were made, is silly or untrue. I think it is quite possible that legislation will be introduced after the investigation is completed.
I am not referring to legislation regarding the whole transport situation but I say promises were made to private lorry owners that they would get public transport licences.
I would advise the Deputy not to go too far in his inquiries as to who made promises to these private lorry owners.
In view of the fact that the Minister's statement may be taken as meaning that these lorry owners may be given public hauliers' licences and that, on that account, these lorry owners may not avail of opportunities to sell their lorries, is it to be taken that there in a prospect——
What prospect?
That public hauliers' licences may be issued to them.
Certainly not. My statement was that it was quite probable that following an investigation legislation may be necessary.
But not necessarily to extend the number of hauliers' licences.
Let me assure the Deputy that I am just as concerned about their position as he is.
I only want to point out that promises should not be made by the Government which they had no intention of putting into operation.
I am so concerned about their position that I deprecate any attempt to make petty, political capital out of it.