asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the reason for the acute shortage of briquettes and machine turf in Athy, County Kildare, and the surrounding areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Athy (Kildare) Turf Shortage.
16.
The supply position for briquettes and turf in plastic containers is generally tight in various parts of the country including Athy. The reason is that growth in the demand for briquettes and turf in sealed plastic bags has been such that it now exceeds the production capacities of the factories and bagging plants and supplies have had to be rationed on the basis of purchases in an earlier period. The recent cold weather, difficulties with other fuels and industrial relations problems have contributed to the problem. Supplies of unbagged machine turf, however, are available without restriction at the bogs which serve the Athy area.
I should add that a new briquette factory is being built and will be in production next year.
Does the Minister agree that priority should be given to the south as far as briquettes are concerned rather than exporting them as we are doing at present?
That is a separate question. The question relates to the reason for the shortage of briquettes.
Surely this is what is causing the shortage?
It is not causing the shortage because over the past two years the percentage of the output of briquettes which have been exported to the Six Counties has been 4.5 per cent. Early this winter when it was apparent that there was again to be a shortage I started discussions with the board of Bord na Móna with a view to reducing the already small amount of exports because I felt that, in all the circumstances, residents of the south and tax-payers under this jurisdiction were entitled to priority. The board, however, pointed out to me that they had traditional good customers in the North who purchased other materials from them, particularly peat moss of which there was no shortage, and they were anxious not to cut off these customers altogether and create difficulties for them. As a result I agreed with the board that the percentage of output from now on that would be exported to the North would be reduced.