Vol. 178 No. 1
This morning I asked the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and consent of the Taoiseach to put the following Private Notice Question to the Taoiseach:
To ask the Taoiseach whether he will make a statement on the situation which threatens to affect the national economy arising from the disappearing oil and petrol supplies consequent on the current trade dispute in the oil and petrol distribution trade.
The facts of this dispute have been published. The effect on the national economy of the prolongation of the dispute would obviously be very serious. It is to be hoped therefore that the parties to the dispute will soon be able to agree on an arrangement that will enable normal deliveries to be resumed.
May we take it that the Taoiseach will keep the House informed of the progress of this matter and that, if we should be sufficiently unfortunate to be in the same position next week as we are to-day, he will take occasion to give the House fuller and better particulars of the situation?
Yes. The extent to which the Government can take responsibility for keeping the House informed of the situation is perhaps a question of doubt. As the Deputy is aware, those who are concerned with this dispute on both sides are very responsible people who would, I feel sure, be prepared to go a great distance to avoid imposing hardship on the community, and particularly upon workers whose employment may be in jeopardy because of the dispute. The fact that they have been unable to resolve their differences, therefore, suggests that the situation is one of some difficulty, as far as they are concerned. I do not know that we can do more than express the hope that they will come together to avoid the consequences which a prolongation of the dispute will undoubtedly involve. As far as I am aware, they have no problem in making contact with each other.
I fully appreciate the delicacy of the situation. My concern is to direct the attention of the Taoiseach to what, I have no doubt, he is already fully aware of—the community interest in this matter-and to secure an assurance for the community at large that, as soon as possible, the Taoiseach will take steps to inform the community at large of the developments that take place because, as he well knows, in complex and difficult negotiations of this character, the public very often lose contact, and feel a sense of frustration and confusion in the presence of very great inconvenience that fortuitously comes upon them.
It has been suggested to me that there is some possibility that those persons who are disemployed, as a consequence of this strike, will not be eligible for unemployment benefit. May I take it from the Taoiseach that there is no truth in that suggestion?
That is established law. If the Deputy is referring to people who are not directly concerned in the dispute I think there is no question of that.
Could the Taoiseach not do what Deputy Norton did as Minister for Industry and Commerce some years back, that is, step in and bring both parties together? In view of the fact that the Taoiseach has said that both parties to the dispute are honourable, responsible people, would he not act to bring those honourable, responsible people together?
As far as I know the parties have no difficulty about making contact with each other, and there has been no suggestion that the intervention of a third party is necessary to bring them together. I must make it quite clear that the Government have no intention of imposing any settlement.
Could the Taoiseach not do as Deputy Norton did?
If there were any need for that in this situation, I think one or other of the parties would make that known.
