asked the Minister for Transport and Power the steps he is taking to provide guaranteed cattle shipping facilities to Britain after 1975 when the B & I and British Rail consortium's guarantee of service expires; and if there is any danger in the fact that cattle shipments to Britain may then be in the virtually exclusive control of a single private operator.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Shipping Facilities.
40.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a question on cattle shipping facilities on 26th October, 1972.
As I indicated in that reply, the extent and frequency of shipping services provided for the conveyance of cattle is a matter primarily for the initiative of shipowners and other commercial interests concerned, in the same way as shipping services for the carriage of goods, vehicles and passengers. The B & I Company and British Rail have informed the Govvernment Ministers concerned, both here and in Britain, that they are undertaking a radical review of the whole future of their cattle-carrying services and the matter is being further examined. No changes will, however, be made without full consultation with the Government Departments concerned.
Pending the outcome of this examination I am unable to give a more specific reply.
Is the Minister aware that B & I and the consortium appear at the moment to be running down their cattle shipping services? They have increased their rates to such a level that they really are not practical any more for the shippers. Would he agree that if this service is discontinued there will be a virtual monopoly in the hands of one private Continental individual and that this is not a satisfactory situation? The Minister has an overall responsibility to prevent a monopoly position developing to the detriment of Irish exporters in this field.
That was the purpose of establishing the consortium between British Rail cattle exporters and the B & I. The net result was that the cattle trade refused to support this consortium which lost £300,000 last year and, instead, transferred their support to the private interests the Deputy referred to. This is a fact of commercial life which is in the hands of the cattle exporters. It was their attitude which made for the situation which developed. I would certainly share the Deputy's anxiety regarding any monopoly situation developing.
My concern is primarily for the producers, the farmers, and they will suffer most of all if a monopoly develops.
I agree fully with the Deputy. That was the whole thinking behind the establishment of the consortium. I am just placing on record here the fact that the cattle trade did not support the consortium on which they were represented. The Deputy is well aware of that.
That could be true.
As a result the consortium lost a substantial amount of money.
I think the Minister misled me when I asked about facilitating exporters, on the previous question. I said this obviously included the cattle exporters, the most important exporters from the country. The Minister said that was relevant to the next question but the next question related to exporters to Britain, not to the EEC. Therefore the Minister misled me. I am not saying he did it deliberately, but he misled me.
This question relates to the live cattle trade. That is what I was concerned about.
Does this question not relate to cattle going to Britain?
It is only a small point.
It is a very serious point.
The previous question related entirely to freight and passenger traffic. This question relates to live cattle.
Facilities for exporters. Are cattle exporters not exporters? It is not a small point. It is a very big point considering that our cattle exports are our most important exports.
The Deputy should be aware that the only shipping services between Ireland and the Continent relate to freight and passenger services. In my answer I was concerned to relate it precisely to the shipping service that exists between Ireland and the Continent at the moment.
That is what the Minister says but it is not correct.
Question No. 41.
I should like to stress the point that there are bigger things ahead, whether the Minister knows it or not. At the moment an air service is being planned for the export of cattle. The Minister knows this because I discussed it with him.
That is right.
In the event of the export of cattle to Le Havre for the Continental market, how will the exports be allocated because at the moment they are completely in the hands of a monopoly? People who have gone to the Continent and created a market there cannot get shipping space. That is the problem, and what will the Minister do about it?
I replied to that earlier on. In regard to scheduled live cattle shipping services from Ireland to Britain and the Continent the experience has been far from happy heretofore. The level of activity in regard to live cattle exports to the Continent, which is of comparatively recent origin, has not yet reached the scale of regularity, continuity and volume which would justify a scheduled service at present, but the position is being continually watched.