I beg to move:
That the Seanad is of opinion, in view of developing difficulties for commercial interests in regard to travel by long-distance trains and buses, that the Minister for Industry and Commerce should prepare a scheme, in consultation with the railway authorities, ensuring preferential treatment for users of transport representing those interests, and should if necessary embody such scheme in an Emergency Powers Order.
I know that it is very difficult, in framing an Order, to meet such proposals as I have suggested here, but the hardship and inconvenience which business people have had to suffer during the past six or eight months have become intolerable, and I am afraid that with the further curtailment of buses the position is going to become very much worse. Of course, I admit that I am principally concerned with people who are engaged in the cattle trade, but it is a very great inconvenience for business people, generally. At the same time, in the case of the ordinary business people in the city here, there is not so much inconvenience as in the case of people engaged in the cattle trade. If a businessman is not able to go about his business to-day, let us say, then he can attend to it to-morrow, but it is a much more serious matter for people engaged in the cattle trade if they cannot travel to a fair or market on the day on which that fair or market is held. If they cannot get to the fair on the day on which it is held, then they may as well stay at home, as the fair will be over, and that is a very serious matter for those engaged in the cattle trade. It is bad enough for people engaged in other lines of business, but it is a very serious matter for those who are engaged in the cattle business.
I think that most Senators realise that quite a number of people come to fairs in the South of Ireland from Northern Ireland and from Great Britain. These people have to travel long distances in order to arrive in Dublin, and it is a terrible hardship on such people, after spending all that time travelling, incurring a certain amount of expense, and even incurring a certain amount of risk if they have to cross the sea, if they are not able to get to a fair. It is a terrible thing for such people to arrive at Kingsbridge Station, only to find that there is no room for them on the train. I must say that that only applies to the Great Southern Railways, but I know that it has occurred to myself on several occasions, but I managed to scramble into the guard's van and got carried in that way. I think that anything that could be done would be an improvement on the present situation. In my opinion, it should be possible to have forward bookings, and that priority should be given on these trains to people such as I have in mind.
Recently, for instance, I have seen where forward bookings were arranged by the Great Southern Railways Company in connection with race meetings. The Minister may say that was a special train, but I think that if it is possible to arrange for forward bookings in such a case, it should also be possible to arrange for such forward bookings in the case of ordinary business people or people engaged in the cattle trade.
I admit that people engaged in the cattle trade would not be in a position to notify the railway company of forward bookings as far in advance as in the case of people who are going on their holidays, but I think that it should be fairly easy to arrange for a certain proportion or percentage of the accommodation on trains to be reserved for business people. We have all seen, at Aston's Quay and similar bus places in Dublin, people having to wait in the wet and the cold, and having to queue up for hours in order to get on a bus, and we have seen the same thing at Kingsbridge in the case of people waiting for trains. Of course, we all know that the buses and trains can only carry a certain number of people, no matter how urgent the business of these people may be, but I think it would be better if arrangements could be made whereby people could book their seats in advance, and know that they would definitely get these seats, instead of having to queue up at the bus stops or railway stations.
I am sure that the Minister and most people understand the difficulties of the situation. As I have said already, I know that it is not a matter that can be got over very easily, but I suggest to the Minister that if he would call a conference, including representatives of the national executive of the cattle trade, the various chambers of commerce and the railway companies, some scheme could be devised whereby there might be an easing of the present position. One thing, at all events, is certain, and that is that things are very bad as they stand at present, in regard to transport, and I am afraid that the situation is going to be worse, and I think that anything that could be done to ease that situation would be good. I think it would be no harm for the Minister to call together a conference of such bodies as I have suggested, because it might be possible to devise some means of easing the present position and make it possible for business people, cattle traders, and so on, to go about their business, by giving them priority over people who are merely going on holidays.
I wish it to be understood that I am not speaking, in any sense, against the people who wish to go on their holidays, but I think that in the present circumstances the business people should get priority in regard to the matter of accommodation either on trains or buses.
