andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether he has seen the report of the inquiry conducted by the Council of Irish County Associations in London regarding the unsatisfactory conditions of travel on boats and trains connected with cross-Channel traffic; and whether any steps are being taken to ensure that the hardship suffered in past years by Irish people returning home for the Christmas holidays will be averted this year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cross-Channel Travel Conditions.
9.
I have not yet seen the report referred to; excerpts from it, published in the newspapers, have been brought to my notice.
I am informed by British Railways that on the Holyhead/Dún Laoghaire route the number of scheduled extra sailings inwards in the 1960 pre-Christmas period is 12, compared with 9 in 1959. The number of extra scheduled sailings outwards is 5 in each year. On this basis capacity would be available in the pre-Christmas period, 1960, for some 42,675 passengers inwards which compares with 27,164, the actual number carried during the corresponding period in 1959. I am now informed, however, that two of the inward extra sailings for the coming Christmas have been cancelled because of lack of demand. Additional sailings will also be provided on the Rosslare/Fishguard route. The operating companies have assured me that if intending travellers comply with the sailing ticket requirements, to which considerable publicity has been given, the accommodation should be more than adequate and no avoidable hardship should be encountered by passengers.
The position is complicated this year by the foot and mouth disease precautions. Full publicity has been given to the co-operation which is required of passengers arriving in this country and, if they comply, there should be no serious inconvenience to travellers at the point of disembarkation.
I can assure the Deputies that I have lost no opportunity of impressing upon British Railways the need to improve the standard of comfort on the trains and on their vessels. I have had several personal discussions with the new Chairman of the London Midland Region Board who has expressed his determination to secure improvement in the service. Many detailed proposals have been discussed with British Railways by the officers of my Department and of Bord Fáilte, which I hope will lead to further improvements.
In view of the fact that, although each year we are told that there should be no further hardships and that conditions should be improved, we still have those dreadful conditions for Irish people coming back and forth. Would the Minister consider it advisable to take up the problem with the British Transport Commission which controls the entire system so that he could ensure that none of the conditions complained of would be allowed to arise again? Only yesterday the matter was raised in the House of Lords.
The Deputy is making a statement.
Is the Minister aware that the matter was raised in the British House by Lord Windlesham who suggested that the British Transport Commission should divert more of its vessels to the Irish routes at peak periods? Even in the British House of Lords they are aware of the very serious position. Will the Minister take up the matter with the British Transport Commission before Christmas?
Is the Minister aware that many people travelling between Britain and this country have to stand up. I saw them myself sleeping in the open on the bare planks. There were not enough deckchairs. I travelled the route twice by steerage.
The most elaborate documentation has been prepared by Bord Fáilte in conjunction with my Department to compare conditions on the different services operated by the British Transport Commission and those between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead. We have also been in touch with the British Transport Commission in this matter. When the present British Minister for Transport was appointed, I talked with him on the problem and every possible step has been taken to draw the attention of British Railways to the matter.
Has the Minister reached any such conclusion as was reached by his predecessors that, notwithstanding all the assurances given by British Railways, all these promises and assurances seem to go haywire during the Christmas holidays? Would the Minister consider sending representatives of his Department or of Bord Fáilte to travel on these services at Christmas time and to act as liaison officers with British representatives so that whenever difficulties arise they can be remedied there and then instead of holding an annual inquest in the month of January?
This is not a question of holding an annual conference. Bord Fáilte make investigations into the transport conditions themselves in conjunction with British Railways. These discussions take place on many occasons and fairly frequently. Every possible step has been taken, as I have said, and I hope that the new Chairman of the Midland Board will be able to carry out improvements in the service. I should also mention, however, that it may be unusual but in the past year some of the most unpleasant experiences have not occurred during the actual great peak. They have occurred either before or after it. That applies in particular, if I remember rightly, to last Christmas. Some of the most unpleasant occurrences, of passengers being left behind, have not taken place on crisis days but on days shortly before or after.
The fact is that people are being herded on the boats and on the trains.
Dr. Browne rose.
I cannot allow any further Supplementaries.
I have just two short points to make. Could I ask the Minister, from the documents he received about other channel services, (1) does the same chaos exist on Continental sea transport services, and (2) do they have to have sailing tickets?
That is a separate matter.
Probably, the Deputy and the other members of the House are aware that the very many high peaks that occur in the case of traffic between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead are not so prevalent in the case of the other channel services, so that the element of comparison is not complete. Nevertheless, one can make comparisons with the very great volume of traffic between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead, which is in fact the second port so far as the volume of traffic is concerned, Dover being the first. There is no absolute comparison because the relative high peak is not the same.
And there is no comparison between the conditions.
Is the Minister going to meet the Chairman of the Midland Board?