asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the average carrying capacity per week of scheduled service cattle boats carrying Irish cattle to Britain during each of the five years up to and including 1969; and his Department's projections for same up to 1973.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Boat Service.
19.
Details of the average weekly carrying capacity since 1965 of scheduled service cattle boats are not available in my Department.
At the beginning of 1965, scheduled shipping services to Britain for cattle were in operation from Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Drogheda. Due to the closure of Fishguard as a cattle landing place and to very limited use of some of the other routes, scheduled services for cattle have since been discontinued in a number of cases and are now in operation only from Dublin to Birkenhead, Holyhead, and Glasgow. There are also at present weekly cattle sailings to Britain from Sligo and Wicklow. I am advised that the cattle boats operating on schedule from Dublin on the cross-Channel routes have a combined carrying capacity of over 3,600 cattle and could take, with normal sailings, over 10,000 cattle per week. This carrying capacity seems likely to continue to be available for the next few years.
Could the Minister state if the B & I have ceased, or are about to cease, the livestock carrying service between Dublin and Liverpool?
What I have said is that the service in operation will be from Dublin to Birkenhead, Holyhead and Glasgow.
Can the Minister state if any new boats are being built to carry Irish cattle?
If the Deputy would care to put that down by way of question I will have it handled by the appropriate Department.