asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state what steps are being taken to control the price of coal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Coal Prices.
The price of coal is not at present subject to official control, and the reports received by me regarding the prices at which coal is being sold do not suggest that there is any need to reintroduce such control.
May I take it, then, that the Minister is not aware that coal is selling in Donegal at prices ranging from £8 to £11 10s. per ton?
American coal?
All sorts of coal. Some of it is not coal.
My information is that British coal is being sold in Letterkenny at £8 per ton.
Yes.
Which compares not unfavourably with £7 15s. per ton at which that coal is being sold in Dublin. American coal, I understand, is being sold in Letterkenny at £10 per ton but I am informed that that coal is taken from the dumps here and that by the time it gets to Letterkenny the charge for it is more than £8 per ton. A whole variety of operations have then to take place regarding the disposal of that American coal and the examination that has taken place in this matter indicates that, having regard to the number of operations which had to be carried out regarding the distribution of that coal, the price is not considered to be excessive, again having regard to the long haul to Letterkenny and the subsequent distribution charges.
I may mention that the importation of coal is not the subject of any control by my Department. The Éire Coal Importers' Association negotiated an agreement with the British Coal Board to import coal through that organisation and it is open to the association concerned to import British coal to Donegal, if they so desire.
Is the Minister aware that it is not, as he says, quite open to the Donegal Coal Importers' Association to import coal as they wish from Britain? They may only import it under their quota and the quota, as we have found in the past few months, has been anything but adequate. The result is that American coal is being sent to Donegal at very high freight cost. The real matter that I would like the Minister to investigate is as to whether or not the different coals being sold at the different prices in Donegal are, in fact, the coals that he describes now as British and American. Would his Department or his office give some indication to the people of the prices they legitimately should be asked to pay in all fairness for the different types of coal? I can assure the Minister that there are very many different types and it is the inferior types that we take objection to.
If the Deputy will let me have his views in detail and describe the position to me in detail as he knows it, I will be glad to have the matter examined for him.
I will do that.
It is a purely private arrangement whereby fuel importers here make their own purchase arrangements with the National Coal Board in Britain. I do not come into the transaction. That particular private organisation can make any arrangement it wishes with the National Coal Board. There is no interference by the Department.
It is the retail price that concerns us. Advantage is being taken of the scarcity.
If the Deputy will let me have the information I will be glad to help.