On Monday, 28th November, I saw in the Cork Examiner that:
...the Costa Rican freighter, Kyriakoula, arrived from Belfast light to collect a cargo of rails at the John J. Horgan wharf.... The rails were those of the branch line from Headford to Kenmare and from Farranfore to Valentia Harbour, both of which were closed by C.I.E. at the beginning of this year. It is believed to be C.I.E.'s first shipment of rails from the port of Cork. ... altogether she loaded 1,400 tons of rails before sailing for the Italian port of Spezia. As three lines usually make up a ton in weight, she took aboard altogether 4,000 tons. It is understood that the Board procured an export licence before arranging the shipment.
When that matter was brought to my attention, I put down a Question for answer today. As I am not satisfied that the Minister has fully replied to it, I thought it right to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
I am not satisfied, nor are many other interested parties, with the manner in which an export licence was granted to C.I.E. for the export of these rails. I should like to know what opportunity was given to Irish citizens, or to Irish Steel, of tendering for these rails. What opportunity was given to farmers and builders to tender for them? Farmers might require them for the erection of haysheds and other farm buildings, or they might be required for other building purposes. Why were C.I.E. granted this licence for the export of 1,400 tons when an ordinary citizen cannot export scrap, even to the amount of 10 tons? The export of scrap is entirely prohibited and an Irish citizen cannot export scrap but is obliged to sell to Irish Steel.
I should like to ask the Minister if advertisements were inserted in any of the newspapers asking for tenders. I should also like to ask him why did C.I.E. not reserve those rails in case it might be necessary subsequently to relay the lines that were closed or for the construction of new lines or the repair of existing lines? What was the reason for the indecent haste in lifting and disposing of these rails?
It is doubtful if C.I.E. had ownership of the rails at all, so far as the Kenmare-Headford line is concerned. When that line was first constructed, the ratepayers in the Kenmare-Headford area had to act as guarantors and any losses incurred on that line had to be made good by them. A rate was struck right up to 1945, until the Transport Act became law. Thereafter, the ratepayers of South Kerry, as have the ratepayers of the whole of the Republic of Ireland, have had to pay rates and taxes to subsidise C.I.E. and to make up the losses incurred by that company.
The shareholders, the people who invested money in these railways when first constructed and whose money was eventually lost, should have some claim to these rails. That applies also to the ratepayers of South Kerry and to the ratepayers and taxpayers of the country.
