(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Transport and Power if in view of the rapidly-mounting cross-Channel freightage charges he will explain (a) what steps, if any, have been taken to carry Irish produce over the Irish Sea in Irish ships, and (b) what steps, if any, have been taken to offset a British shipping monopoly of cross-Channel wharfage.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cross-Channel Transport of Irish Produce.
14.
As the Deputy is no doubt aware, there are already a number of Irish ships engaged in the cross-Channel shipping trade. As regards the question of increased Irish participation in this trade, I would refer the Deputy to my reply on the 19th July, 1962 to a question in regard to the establishment of an Irish controlled cross-Channel shipping organisation.
I am not aware that there is any British shipping monopoly of cross-Channel wharfage but it is very naturally the case that the bulk of the most suitable wharfage on both sides of the Irish Sea is already occupied by shipping companies already engaged in the trade.
(South Tipperary): Has any serious effort been made to divert our Irish shipping from plying in foreign ports for hire to cross-Channel services here, with a view to keeping down the increasing costs of the transport of goods, not to speak of the unsatisfactory passenger services obtaining?
The vessels of Irish Shipping Limited are not suitable for cross-Channel trade. They are not built with that in view. They would require adaptation so costly that we could not make use of these ships in any large way in order to solve this problem.
Could the Minister not get a few built in Cork?
Is it the Minister's position that we can do nothing about it? Freight rates go up, and up, and up on the cross-Channel traffic and the Minister for Transport and Power says there is nothing he can do about it.
There was a very elaborate report by a Tribunal.
But freight rates have gone up since that report by 7½ per cent.
And they are going down everywhere else.
That is not true.
Only the deep sea rates.
Surely the Minister, as Minister for Transport and Power, is not just content to say that there is nothing he can do about it.
We make a constant study of all these things. One of the things we examine is whether circumstances have changed since the report of that tribunal to justify some fresh action or whether the difficulties that existed then still continue in regard to any participation by us. If the Deputy will read my reply to a Question asked me by Deputy Esmonde on 3rd July, he will find I met the National Shippers Committee on the cross-Channel shipping trade and I was at least able to secure from them a promise that, if there was any prospect that we would be genuinely hurt by the increased rates, they would see what they could do to alleviate the position. The Deputy will also recall that I said in reply to a previous question that one of the major problems in respect to 40 per cent. of the total cost of cross-Channel operation related to portal costs and therefore the establishment of a State shipping service of our own would not really solve the problem completely because of the very heavy proportion of costs which occur at the ports, and which are unalterable at the other side.