Vol. 237 No. 1
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware of the decision of the British and Irish Steampacket Company to increase freight charges by 25/- per beast from Dublin to Liverpool and to confine the carriage of cattle to one route only; and if, having regard to the seriousness of this decision for farmers and people in the cattle trade, he will take whatever steps are open to him to see that these decisions will not be implemented.
9.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will outline the policy to be implemented by the British and Irish Steampacket Company whereby that company proposes to increase the cost of exporting cattle to Britain by 25/- per head from January 1st next; and whether he approves of this proposal.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.
I am informed that the concentration of the B & I Company's livestock services on the Dublin-Birkenhead route since the early part of this year resulted from the withdrawal by British Railways from Fishguard of the supply of cattle wagons which, in effect, closed that port to cattle, and the under-utilisation of the Cork-Birkenhead service by the cattle shippers who have been chartering their own ships. For the Dublin-Birkenhead service, the company are converting one of their vessels for livestock carrying and this vessel, together with the two existing livestock vessels, will provide a guaranteed weekly capacity of 6,000 head of cattle. The company believe that the guarantee of regular capacity on this scale is important for livestock shippers because it introduces a considerable amount of certainty in a basically uncertain trade. The company have sustained heavy financial losses on their livestock carrying. The increased charge is that calculated by them to be necessary to enable the revised livestock service to be operated on a breakeven basis without profit or loss. In order to mitigate the impact of the increase on the livestock trade, however, I have asked the company to examine the possibility of phasing the increase. It is also, of course, open to the livestock interests to take up this question direct with the company. The decision has been taken by the company in pursuance of their mandate to operate on a sound commercial basis and my approval has not been sought.
Can the Minister say if he took any steps to discuss the rundown of wagons with British Railways during the past year when the livestock trade were in touch with him constantly?
This has been under discussion in the Department of Agriculture who have been constantly in touch with the British authorities in this respect.
And nothing has come of it?
Nothing has come of it and we have now concentrated on Holyhead.
Does the Minister consider that 25/- per head is a fair and reasonable increase in present circumstances?
I have asked the company to consider phasing the increase and I hope the livestock trade will discuss this problem with B & I. If there was no increase, the loss, on about 25 per cent of the total cattle exports they take, would be about £193,000 in one year, a very considerable amount. As the Deputy may know, luckily for the agricultural industry, the proposed charge represents from the point of view of the present price of cattle the same percentage as it was in December, 1966: cattle prices have risen very considerably. The percentage then was about four per cent and it still is about four per cent. Nevertheless, I have asked the company to re-examine the matter and to meet the livestock trade in the meantime. The company have guaranteed a service, which they hope will be available, in most uncertain circumstances—the revolution in British Railways, the advent of liner trains, the change in the concentration of traffic at various ports.
Is the Minister aware of the increased charges due to the fact that wagons have been allowed deliberately to run down and they have been resorting to truck traffic in England? If the decision will be to close down Cork, what will be the total increase in cost if cattle have to be brought to Dublin?
The Cork marts are using casual vessels: they found that the regular services of B & I were unsatisfactory. They hire special vessels, run by families.
Yes, charter vessels which are very haphazard—nobody knows when they will come or go.
