asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that the ice plant installed by the Sea Fisheries Association at Dingle, County Kerry, is out of production since May last and that ice has to be transported from Cork at a cost of £9 per ton; and, if so, if he will ensure that arrangements will be made to have ice produced at Dingle for the future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dingle Ice Plant.
The answer to the first part of the question is yes. As to the second part, I am informed by An Bord Iascaigh Mhará that it is expected that the county council will provide at an early date an adequate water supply to enable the operation of the board's plant to be resumed.
Might I point out to the Parliamentary Secretary that it costs £9 per ton to get the ice from Cork while, on the other hand, a private plant in Dingle town can produce nine tons of ice per day and sell it to An Bord Iascaigh Mhara for £6 per ton? The production at the board's ice plant at Dingle used to be about one ton per day.
The Deputy must be aware that it is not the amount of the daily production that is in question here but the failure of the public water supply, as a result of which the ice plant at Dingle is out of production.
What has the Parliamentary Secretary to say about a private ice plant in Dingle town which can produce nine tons of ice per day and sell it at £6 per ton?
Is Deputy Spring not very well aware that the complaint arises because the public water supply failed and that the county council is only now taking steps to remedy the defect?
This private plant formerly produced nine tons per day with the available water supply in Dingle.