asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the number of current road haulage licences, compared with the same time last year, in respect of the following categories: (a) for haulage within the country only; (b) for haulage abroad; and (c) for haulage within the country by foreign-owned vehicles.
Written Answers. - Road Haulage Licences.
285.
The reply is in the form of a tabular statement and notes which with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
(A) Licences for Haulage for Reward held by Irish hauliers.
|
1977 |
1978 |
|
|
1. Within the State only i.e. subject to area restrictions which preclude exit from the State |
76 |
77 |
|
2. Into or out of the State subject to Permission from other States |
||
|
(a) Also allowing haulage within the State |
841 |
841 |
|
(b) Also allowing haulage within the State subject to area or commodity restrictions |
113 |
127 |
|
(c) Subject to restrictions on vehicle type and excluding haulage within the State |
160 |
212 |
|
(d) New type of licence per vehicle (under the Road Transport Act, 1978) excluding haulage within the State; no commodity restrictions |
— |
39 |
Notes:
(i) The 1978 figures relate to 31 October, 1978 and exclude firms hauling for reward under exemptions.
(ii) Except as shown above, the numbers relate to licences rather than vehicles; the licences included authorise 6,868 vehicles, increased under the Road Transport Act, 1978 from a previous figure of 1,158, but the number at present operated is probably under 2,000.
(iii) Under exemptions and subject to conditions, both of which have changed within the last year under EEC and national legislation, Irish non-licensed hauliers are free to haul at home and subject to permission from the other States abroad also, but their numbers are not known.
(B) Licences for International Haulage
Notes
(a) Permits for international haulage are normally per vehicle and valid either for a number of journeys, usually one toten, or a period of a few days to a year. The numbers current cannot, therefore, readily be given and the basic data resources are spread over many Governments e.g., foreign Governments which grant licence to Irish hauliers. The figures available are not valid for comparisons with the preceding figures relating specifically to Irish hauliers.
(b) It is the general rule that a haulier in international haulage may not perform point-to-point haulage with a foreign country; e.g. foreign hauliers are not permitted to perform point-to-point haulage in Ireland.
(c) There are 2,835 vehicle authorisations available to hauliers of EEC member states to haul between those states in 1978; very few holders would visit Ireland; Ireland's own share of this number is 60. Ireland holds 13 of the 385 similar authorisations available to hauliers of member states of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) to haul between these states (EEC plus 9 other countries); very few holders would visit Ireland. Ireland has 50 EEC authorisations out of 2,363 for 1977 and 13 out of 385 ECMT authorisations.
(d) Under the bilateral agreements with France, Belgium and the Federal Republic of Germany, the total reciprocal quota of permits for the year is 13,400; the number of permits issued to date by France, Belgium and Germany to their hauliers is not known, Irish hauliers have had 8,326 permits in the 10 months to 31 October 1978 for journeys to, from or through France, Belgium and the Federal Republic of Germany; the corresponding figure for 1977 was 4,978 but only the French agreement was operative for the full period.
(e) Irish hauliers held 326 vehicle licences for cross-border haulage in the year ended 30 September 1978, as against 279 in the previous year; Northern hauliers held 1,946 and 1,494 licences respectively in the same periods. Licences are granted freely by both administrations.
(f) From January to October, 1978 other outside hauliers were granted 4,131 permits against 3,423 in the previous corresponding period; no information on permits granted to Irish hauliers by other administrations is available.