asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware of the serious shortage of fuel in County Donegal, and, if so, if he will make arrangements to have extra allocations of coal and/or machine-won turf made available to the fuel merchants there.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Fuel Supplies.
I am aware that in common with many other areas the fuel supply position in County Donegal has been affected by adverse weather conditions. There is, however, no official control over the importation and distribution of fuel supplies and the securing of adequate supplies for any particular area is a matter which should be taken up through the usual trade channels.
Surely the Minister is going to treat the failure of the fuel crop in Donegal and in other areas of the West as an emergency just the same as the loss of other crops is about to be treated, we expect, by the Minister for Agriculture and by other Ministers?
I have explained to the Deputy——
I know, I heard that.
——that there is no official, control over the importation and distribution of fuel supplies. There are normal trade channels for securing fuel and these trade channels are available in Donegal and there is fuel available and there is turf available in Donegal from Bord na Móna. I suggest that the Deputy should ask those who need fuel to get in touch, through the usual trade channels, with those who have fuel for sale. If that breaks down, then we can have another look at the situation to see if it requires to be remedied. But there is fuel there at the moment and there are trade channels available for its distribution.
My question was prompted by the fact that there is almost a complete loss of the hand-won turf crop in Donegal. I think that is going to create a situation of emergency and what I am asking the Minister to do is to treat it as such before the actual emergency sets in, either by providing or seeing that a supply of coal is made available—not free—but available for purchase——
Coal is available for purchase to-day and turf is available in Donegal. There are traders who distribute in Donegal both coal and turf and supplies are available to them to-day. There is no difficulty in getting either or both classes of fuel. If, however, there should be a breakdown in the supply of fuel in Donegal or anywhere else, then we can look at the whole situation. But both types of fuel are available to the traders——
This matter has been brought to my notice by the traders who asked me to raise it here.
They could do something to help themselves.