asked the Minister for Transport when he proposes to introduce legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Transport Consultative Commission's Report on the haulage industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Haulage Industry Report.
23.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Report of the Transport Consultative Commission on road freight haulage was presented to me by the commission on 22 July 1981. After presentation of the report to the Government and both Houses of the Oireachtas, I arranged for the publication of the report on the 30 July 1981, when I announced that decisions on the specific recommendations in the report would be taken as soon as possible after all the interests concerned had an opportunity of studying and commenting on the report. This announcement was followed by advertisements in the daily press and trade magazines indicating the 31 October 1981 as the latest date for receiving views on the report.
In September, I met representatives of the Confederation of Irish Industry, the Irish Road Haulage Association, the Irish Overseas Transport Association and the Independent Hauliers' Association to hear their preliminary views on the report and more recently I received a number of written submissions. I am at present considering the report and the views of the interested parties and as soon as this examination has been completed I will be seeking Government decisions on the specific recommendations in the Report. I hope to have this procedure completed in the near future.
There seems to be some confusion between the Minister and his colleague, the Minister for Labour, in that the Minister for Labour did not seek an easement of the introduction of the tachograph for the industry here. Is he now saying that he is going to put it further on the long finger? The haulage industry here is in grave disarray. It is necessary, as a matter of urgency, to put it on a sound footing by the continuation of the transport policy of the previous Minister. When will the next Transport Bill to liberalise this industry be brought before the House?
(Cavan-Monaghan): It is very unreasonable for anybody to say that the reply I have just read out indicates that the matter is being put on the long finger. When I read this reply I came to the conclusion that the Minister acted as promptly in relation to this matter as I have ever known.
I do not accept the final statement by the Minister that this Minister has acted as promptly as possible. If he compares it with the previous and more intricate report of the Dublin Transportation Authority he will know how it should be dealt with. There appears to be a contradiction — and it is a very serious matter for the transport industry. The answer given by the Minister for Labour is that the tachograph or spy in the cab is being introduced on 1 December. Obviously this Government have made no assessment of the implications of that. The Minister in charge of transport and the Minister for Labour should have done something about it. The Minister is not prepared to make a decision in relation to the whole transport industry as recommended in that report and he is going to throw the whole thing into chaos. When is he going to decide on the Transport Consultative Commission's report?
(Cavan-Monaghan): It is no harm to put on record that this Government — and I was Minister for Transport at the time — got a derogation from the tachograph provisions for three years when we were last in power and Fianna Fáil did nothing about it.
I must correct that. I got a derogation myself last year or the year before and the present Minister obviously was not present in the House when the Minister would not confirm that he had even made an effort to get a derogation this year. No derogation was sought and the whole thing will be in chaos from 1 December.
I want to put it on the record of the House that what the Minister has said is totally untrue.
There was not a single positive response from the action Minister to any question that was put down today.
The remaining questions will appear on next Tuesday's Order Paper.