asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy in view of the present marked deterioration in the petrol supply situation, if he will now introduce a national rationing system based on stated priorities of need, particularly in regard to the medical and employment sectors and if he will make a statement in the matter in order to allay public disquiet.
Private Notice Question. - Petrol Supply.
Petrol rationing is a crude and unnecessarily severe way of dealing with the present difficulties. Rationing creates nearly as many problems as it solves and I would not be disposed to introduce any such system except as a measure of last resort. I do not think we have reached that stage.
When speaking in the Dáil last week on an Adjournment Debate I made it clear that a period of ten to 14 days would probably elapse before the petrol supply position improved. I see no reason to depart from the forecast I made at that time. I am confident that the supply situation will improve over the next week or so. As I have already pointed out, however, one can never be certain of developments in the producer countries and this is a factor which all the consuming countries, including ourselves, have to contend with. As far as I am concerned, the most important object at the moment is to maximise incoming supplies and I am doing everything possible to achieve this.
Arising out of the Minister's reply in which he says one can never be certain, would he agree that we have at present what amounts to anarchy at the petrol pumps? We have queues that begin at dawn, that are a mile long——
That is argument, Deputy.
Would the Minister agree that it would be preferable, in place of the present unofficial rationing which is grossly unfair, to have a national system based on priority of need? Is the Minister aware that statements have been made by leading medical practitioners pointing out that they have found themselves in emergency situations, postponing important operations because of the shortage of petrol?
The Government see their priority as bringing in extra supplies to the country rather than rationing in the present circumstances. As far as the medical profession are concerned it has always been accepted that doctors must be a special case. My Department have not received any complaints from doctors alleging inability to procure supplies. Arising out of cases to which reference has been made in the papers and elsewhere I am asking the oil companies to ensure that doctors requirements will be met.
Can the Minister state with any precision what improvement will take place in the supply position after next Friday? Is the Minister aware that many garages have stated publicly that they intend to close this week on a permanent basis?
As I have said, in reference to the Adjournment Debate last week, I stated that I foresaw that a period of ten to 14 days would elapse before the supply situation would improve. We are now heading into that period and I have no reason to change the statement I made at that time.
Will the Minister cater for the coming weekend? It is a very important tourist weekend and will he instruct the oil companies to release the June quota from tomorrow onwards?
The Deputy will be delighted to hear that the oil companies have been very co-operative on this matter and some of the June quota will be released tomorrow and some the day after.
The Minister can instruct them to do that.
I have told the Deputy it has already been done.
Why did the Minister not say so?
I have just said it. The Deputy was not listening. He was hearing his own echo——
That snappish tone is not appropriate.
Order.
(Interruptions.)
Would the Minister accept that irrespective of what interpretation——
If Deputy Kelly insists on ignoring the Chair I will have to ask him to leave the House.
Having regard to the present oil shortage and the possibility of a continuing oil shortage over the next two years, I wish to raise on the Adjournment the bringing forward of the Government's decision on the CIE application to electrify the suburban rail system in Dublin which has seen an unprecedented increase in passengers travelling.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise the position regarding the danger and threatened danger by the landing——
Does the Deputy wish to raise this matter on the Adjournment?
——of defective DC 10 aircraft in this country. I am told the Minister has no jurisdiction over the landing of such aircraft. I take issue with the Chair's ruling. I take it that the Minister for Tourism and Transport has responsibility for all aircraft that land in this country.
On the Adjournment I wish to raise some of the following matters. I wish to know where the £7.7 million that has been granted for the operation of the European elections by the various political parties came from, who was responsible for it, what representatives are doing there who do not know anything about it and in general to know why it has become a slush fund.
The Deputy may mention the matter without making a speech on it.
With all due respect to the Chair, if I do not raise it here there is little chance that I can raise it anywhere else because I am denied RTE services for free political speech in regard to broadcasting.
I will communicate with the Deputy regarding the matter in the afternoon.
I have five other matters to raise. Regarding the slush money, £80,000, £60,000 and £35,000 is going to Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour. I wish to know and raise on the Adjournment the matter which has been totally confusingly replied to by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. It is our money as much as anybody else's money. It is going to the parties to fight the election to the exclusion of all others. I wish to raise also the denial of what would be a normal right of any member of this community, an equal share of the free time for political broadcasts on television and, coupled with that, the denial of the right that would be that of anyone in the country to a fair share of the free time for political broadcasts on Radio Éireann.
I also wish to raise as a separate matter, now that we have a new Authority, what would seem to be a disregarding of the duties imposed by the Broadcasting Act on the old Authority in that they have not attempted, in regard to the European elections, to give a fair balance as far as their broadcasts are concerned. Perhaps the new Authority might have another look at that so that some justice can be done in this matter before 7 June.
The Government have no control over the allocation of time for broadcasts.
Deputy Blaney is being let make a budget speech but I am not even allowed to ask a question. The Deputy is welcome to make a speech but I am entitled to ask a question instead of being threatened with being put out of the House. It was disgraceful.
I am not disputing what the Chair has said. What I am trying to get across to the Chair for consideration——
I am calling the Order of Business.
I am not finished. The Broadcasting Act is the concern of this House——
I have told the Deputy I will look into the matter that he wished to raise on the Adjournment.
Unless the Chair knows what is involved he cannot decide whether it is right or wrong to raise it on the Adjournment. There is a further matter that I wish to raise on the Adjournment. Since a ban has been placed on all those who are participating in the European elections from being given any coverage by our national television and radio services in any matter coincidental to their ordinary role in life, I wish to raise on the Adjournment the proposition that no spokesman for any party in this House be allowed any time on the broadcasting service on matters coincidental to his role as a politician in this House in order to give a fair crack of the whip to everyone.
On a point of order, would it be possible to extend the time of the Adjournment tonight to take in all the points that have been raised?
Only one matter may be raised on the Adjournment——
We could have a full day's debate to consider all the matters proposed to be raised on the Adjournment.
Under Standing Orders, the Chair cannot object to the number of persons who seek to raise matters on the Adjournment or the number of items they seek to raise.
I hope that will be in print. I want to use it.