asked the Minister for Transport and Power the number of road merchandise licences in which the carrying weight and/or area of operation has been increased in the past five years, and the reasons for such alterations in the licences.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Merchandise Licences.
32.
Since 1st January, 1958, to date, increases in standard lorry or tractor weight have been authorised for 736 licensees.
These increases have been granted pursuant to the authority vested in me under Sections 116 (1) (c), 119 and 120 of the Transport Act, 1944; and Section 1 of the Transport (No. 2) Act, 1959.
The increases under Section 116 (1) (c) of the Transport Act, 1944 have been granted to offset the extra weight of creels, diesel engines, tipping gears or other accessories or attachments which add to the weight but not the basic carrying capacity of the vehicle. Increases under the other statutory provisions fell to be granted automatically to all applicants on application.
It is not possible, without considerable research, to ascertain the precise number of increases granted under each statutory provision.
Since 1st January, 1958, extensions of areas of operation have been granted in the case of 36 merchandise licences as the applications for extensions complied with the provisions of Section 116 (1) (a) and (c) of the Transport Act, 1944.
The register of merchandise licences, in which the various alterations in licences are entered, is available for inspection in my Department.
33.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether it is correct that he issued a new merchandise road transport licence to a firm (name supplied); and, if so, the date on which such licence was issued, the legal authority for such an issue, the reasons which influenced him in his decision to grant the same, and the number of cases in which he has refused to issue such a licence to Irish nationals.
Under the authority vested in me by Section 115 of the Transport Act, 1944, a merchandise licence was granted to the predecessor of the firm named by the Deputy on 29th August, 1960. The licence was restricted to the use of an articulated vehicle for the transport of chilled horse meat between the premises of the Irish Horse Abattoir Co. Ltd. Straffan, Co. Kildare, and Carrick-carnan Frontier Post in connection with the export of the horse-meat in refrigerated containers to the Continent. The Irish Horse Abattoir Co. Ltd. represented to me and I was satisfied that it was essential that the meat be transported in refrigerated containers and that suitable transport facilities were not available from transport operators in the State, including CIE. Following a change of ownership of the transport business the licence was re-issued in the name of the firm mentioned by the Deputy on 1st September, 1961. The licence expired on 31st March, 1962.
The grant of a merchandise licence in similar circumstances has not been refused to any Irish national.
Will the Minister say if the first licence granted before the firm changed was to an Irish national?
No, the predecessor of the last licensee was not an Irish national.
Was evidence adduced in writing from CIE that they were not interested in that job?
Evidence was given by CIE to that effect. They have not still got a vehicle capable of doing the job for which the licence was issued.
Everybody else is able to do it — they can do it in Rosslare, Cork and Waterford.
In case there is any misunderstanding of the position by Deputies, this involves a very specialised type of vehicle, having its own refrigerated container unit and its own refrigeration machine, not merely an insulated container.