andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether the Government intend to amend the Transport Act, 1958 by removing from it the section which imposes the responsibility on CIE to pay its way by 1964.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Transport Act, 1958.
44.
No.
Does the Minister not appreciate that the curtailment of transport and the consequent inconvenience to the public, and the restriction of wages and salaries and other rights for the workers, with consequent bad labour relations, all stem from the conclusion of this section?
This is an argument.
In the circumstances, would the Minister have it removed?
I cannot allow that question to proceed.
If the Minister is not prepared to amend this legislation on the lines suggested, would he say when the Government are prepared to bring in a new Transport Bill instead?
There will be a new Transport Bill on the expiration of the present Act. The whole position is being examined both within CIE, where for the first time it is possible to undertake a large scale examination of transport policy, and within my Department where there is a group studying the matter, with a view to producing a Bill, which will be brought in some time later this year or early next year, containing proposals for the future financial management and otherwise of CIE.
In view of that statement, is it not only fair to ask the Minister if he would agree to suspend decisions to close railway lines until this examination to which he has referred has been completed and until new legislation is brought before the the House? Surely it will be too late then to start dealing with something and will be a question of closing the stable door——
That does not arise on this question.
If CIE are to operate efficiently, and even if they were not obliged to pay their way by a certain time under the Act, in my view, they will still be at liberty to close railway lines where they are running uneconomically. We cannot start an argument during Question Time as to whether or not a bus service is more suitable than a railway service under certain conditions. That has been argued many times in this House. A Private Bill was proposed by the Deputy and by Deputy McQuillan and it was defeated overwhelmingly in the Dáil quite recently. It received only 12 votes.
Do the Government seriously believe that CIE will be able to pay their way by 1964? Was that not a serious miscalculation by the Government in respect of CIE?
Question No. 45.