asked the Minister for Transport and Power if in fact it was originally intended to operate the whole CIE railway system with 100 locomotives; and with what number of locomotives the railway is now operated.
5.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - CIE Locomotives.
4.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if it is a fact that a direction was laid down by CIE that all locomotives in use must average a specified number of miles per annum.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
I am informed by CIE that it was never intended that the whole CIE railway system should be operated with one hundred locomotives and that the Board never laid down a direction that all locomotives in use must average a specified number of miles per annum. The Board's accounts for the year 1965-66, copies of which are in the Library of the House, show the number of diesel locomotives owned by the Board as 212. The Board recently received delivery of a further 12 diesel locomotives. In addition, the Board has 86 diesel railcars.
If the Parliamentary Secretary will make a little further inquiry, he will find the original plans to operate with 100 locomotives of four different types, with a 95 per cent daily availability. Will he explain why, as more and more branch lines are closed, it is now necessary to operate with more and more locomotives?
Naturally, an amount of research has gone into this. At no stage was it found that the impression was conveyed that CIE should operate with a maximum of 100 locomotives.
I am afraid the Parliamentary Secretary has not been given an accurate reply. The number of miles specified per locomotive was, in fact, 54,000. If the Parliamentary Secretary makes the inquiry, he will find that that is there in the original plans also.
6.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power what percentage of the 60 heavy engines carrying the major burden of traffic was available over the year in each of the past ten years.
7.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power what is the average number of breakdowns for diesel locomotives and for steam locomotives respectively for each of the last ten years on a monthly basis.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together.
Breakdowns in diesel engines are not comparable to those in steam engines and information on breakdowns would yield no useful conclusion since the breakdowns each year would relate to a stock of engines of differing ages. Further, a statement of the average number of breakdowns would not be informative without classification of the nature and magnitude of each breakdown.
The engines purchased since 1958 have proved far more efficient than those purchased during the early fifties, while the total number has increased. The Deputy can be assured that with the passing of time the number of en route breakdowns has now become insignificant as illustrated by the fact that 95 per cent of the passenger service trains arrive on time, a very high figure by European standards.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that a couple of years ago the number of breakdowns was 30 per month for steam and 180 per month for diesel, and that the figure rose later to 200 per month? I am afraid the Parliamentary Secretary, when he asked for the figures, was given a selection of statistics that do not bear examination over the period of ten years I have suggested. Will the Parliamentary Secretary ensure that the statistics in relation to railway operations which used to be published will be published now instead of what I might better describe, perhaps, as a colour magazine rather than an informative report about the working of CIE?
I feel it would be wrong to allow the comments of the Deputy to pass without remarking——
Can you deny them.
——that we feel that the report is a factual report of the situation and not as the Deputy described it.
It is a colour magazine and leaves out all the technical figures that used to be included.
It should be brought before the Censorship Board.
Fine Gael are technicoloured.
Basically, it is for general consumption and not particularly for expert consumption.
Although he took Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together, the Parliamentary Secretary has not answered No. 6.
I think I have covered it.
I got no percentages.
It was not possible to give the percentage.
The information is there; I know it is there.
If the Deputy knows it is there——
Yes, but the Deputy wants to bring out in public how inefficient the present management is.
Promotion of Fianna Fáil men who do not know their business—that is nothing new.
Order. Question No. 8.