asked the Minister for Transport and Power the returns in (1) passengers and (2) freight for (a) the Waterford-Mallow line, (b) the Cork-Youghal line, and (c) the Banteer-Newmarket Kanturk line for the financial years 1960-61 and 1961-62.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - CIE Passenger and Freight Returns.
20.
This information is not available in my Department and I do not propose to ask CIE to provide it for the reasons which I have already explained to the Deputy in reply to questions on this subject last week.
How is the Deputy to do that?
How can the deputation discuss with the Chairman of CIE the future of these lines, if this information is not supplied before they attend the discussions?
One delegation has discussed this matter in a most competent way. A very friendly discussion took place. The deputation understood the figure supplied by CIE in regard to the losses on the line were genuine and there was no need to try to get information which would not be helpful because such information would consist of freight revenue received from the stations along the line, most of which might be apportionable not to that particular line but to other sections of CIE.
Is it regarded as a discourtesy to question any figure?
Is it supposed to be an absolute requirement from the point of view of courtesy to accept all figures supplied ahead of the deputation's meeting with CIE?
The utmost courtesy was extended by the Chairman of CIE on the occasion of this deputation and in connection with other deputations. When members of the deputation asked for some facts about how the figures were reckoned, they were given, and I gave them in this House.
Is it therefore the position that the Cork County Council representations will have to suffer because of the Minister's desire to give such a severe reprimand to the Chairman of the county council, Deputy Corry?
Suppose the Minister's case is valid, that the figures on the basis asked for are irrelevant, surely from the point of view of reasonable public relations these figures ought to be supplied, leaving it quite open to the Board of CIE to say to the deputation: "We gave you these figures at your request but for the following reasons they are not really relevant to the question to be discussed between us as to whether a line is to be closed or not"? Does the Minister not realise that in the case of a line like the Ardee line, when they ask for these figures and are refused them——
This is all an argument.
From the point of view of good public relations and in order to make the thing work, would it not be better to give people the figures they want and explain that they are not relevant? Would that not be better than to throw a cloud of mystery over them?
I could not agree with the Deputy. This would create a precedent, this giving out of masses of figures.
There are no masses of figures involved. The Minister has destroyed CIE as far as public relations are concerned.