asked the Minister for Transport and Power if, in view of the fact that a body appointed by the Government has arrived at the conclusion that CIE supplies only six per cent of the road freight transport, that for the past 18 months the Irish Livestock Traders' Association, a body responsible for the export of over £50 millions worth of livestock per annum, have continually made representations to his Department complaining of the lack of adequate road transport from fairs and marts, and that owing to this they have had to provide their own transport with their own lorries, or to hire private transport, sometimes incurring prosecution for illegal haulage, he will now decide that the liberalisation of livestock road haulage is essential for the proper transportation and marketing of livestock.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Haulage of Livestock.
Concessions have already been granted under the provisions of the Transport Act, 1958, to facilitate the carriage for reward of livestock to fairs and marts by farmers using their own tractors and trailers. In addition, arrangements have been made by CIE in consultation with the licensed road hauliers to place supplementary lorries for this traffic where the need for this has been established.
In relation to the longer distance haulage from fairs and marts, a complaint by the Irish Livestock Traders' Association of inadequacy of transport is at present under examination by my Department in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and CIE. The case being made by the Association is not simply a case for more transport but a case to allow them to use their own vehicles to engage in carriage for reward. I am not satisfied that this case can be sustained on the grounds of an inadequacy of transport because the vehicles of licensed hauliers and CIE which attended fairs and marts for this haulage have been left unused while the traffic was carried in other vehicles. On completion of the present examination I will consider whether there is a genuine need and if so how it could best be met.
7.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if it is a fact that any type of merchandise pays CIE carriers from ten to 50 per cent more profitably than the haulage of livestock.
The information sought by the Deputy is not shown separately in the accounts of CIE furnished to me in accordance with section 34 of the Transport Act, 1950, but the Pacemaker study showed that the carriage of livestock is less profitable to CIE than certain other categories of traffic. The Deputy will, however, appreciate that the profitability of any particular category of traffic must very with attendant circumstances.