asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the estimated quantities of (a) machine-won turf, (b) briquettes, and (c) hand-won turf available for sale in the Dublin area during the coming six months.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turf for Dublin Area.
I am informed by Bord na Móna that no supplies of machine turf will be available for sale in Dublin in the next six months. Existing stocks are needed to meet (a) the requirements of the Electricity Supply Board for electricity generation at the Portarlington and Allenwood stations, and (b) contracts entered into by Bord na Móna with industrial concerns, Government establishments and public bodies, including the cheap fuel schemes operated in the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire areas.
As regards briquettes, I am informed that about 17,000 tons will be available for domestic use in the Dublin area during the coming six months.
No definite information is available as to the prospects of hand-won turf being placed on sale in the Dublin area during the coming six months, but the indications are that little, if any, will be available.
If there is a scarcity of fuel for domestic purposes this winter, have the Government any plans for dealing with it?
The Deputy, I think, can rest assured that there will not be any scarcity of fuel.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary agree that, in view of the anticipated deficiences in fuel supplies, it is unfortunate that Bord na Móna were allowed to make such a hasty decision with regard to the semiautomatic machines?
I would not agree.
The whole thing has been mismanaged for three years.
Is not the whole shortage of machine-won turf due to the fact that sufficient labour could not be got to operate the scheme?
Why do you not pay labour a decent wage?
The Deputy's supplementary put the position correctly.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary realise——
Question No. 61.