asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that of the moneys voted for the supply during the current year of native fuel for necessitous households, the sum of £13,000 has been allocated to the Dublin Board of Public Assistance since December last; that under the scheme the Board require the delivery of 450 tons of turf weekly; that none of this turf has yet been made available to the persons for whom it was intended; that the Board are offered by the distributors no hope of having their weekly requirements fully met; and if he will say what steps he proposes to take to assist the Board to get delivery of the required amount.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Native Fuel for Necessitous Households.
The facts are generally as stated in the question. The substantial demand for turf created by the Government's scheme for encouraging its use has produced the position that the only source from which large quantities can at present be obtained for regular delivery in the City of Dublin is the Turraun Peat Works in Offaly, from which the only effective method of transport is the canal. The Canal Company did not find themselves in a position to guarantee to carry regularly 450 tons weekly. The Company, however, have undertaken to provide for the purpose as many boats as possible, and deliveries of turf in Dublin under the scheme have begun.
Is the Minister aware that the Dublin Board of Public Assistance require the delivery of 450 tons of turf weekly and they find they are not able to get that amount? What prospect does the Minister hold out of being able to assist them to get that amount of turf?
I have already explained that the success which has met the Government's scheme has been so substantial that there is only one source of supply left unexhausted, and that is the Turraun Peat Works in Offaly. From that area turf can only be transported by canal. The volume of supply is determined by the carrying capacity of the Canal Company's equipment. The Canal Company are not in a position at the moment to deliver 450 tons per week. They are, however, delivering a very large quantity and they have undertaken to provide as many boats as possible for the purpose of delivering turf in the city. Deliveries under the scheme have begun.
While that is very satisfactory, if correct, from one point of view, from another point of view it is not so satisfactory. For instance, it is not satisfactory to those people living in the City of Dublin for whom the Oireachtas provided money so as to enable them to receive supplies of turf free. I am now referring to those poor people who are sadly in need of material to build a fire. The Dublin Board of Public Assistance calculate that they require a weekly supply of 450 tons. Will the Minister, in view of what he now says, consult with the Minister for Local Government and Public Health with the object of doing what I asked that Minister to do to-day—that is, to allow the Board of Assistance to supply coal instead of turf in view of the fact that the Government scheme in respect of turf is not sufficiently effective to supply the needs of the poor people?
If we succeed in making arrangements with the Canal Company so as to provide a larger tonnage of canal boats for the shipment of turf the difficulty which the Deputy has in mind will be met.
Will the Minister say whether he intended to convey to me that he was going to consult with the Canal Company?
I have already done so.
Has he consulted with them with the object of getting from them the amount of turf required weekly by the necessitous people in the City of Dublin?
I have already done so.
Apparently with no result.
Oh, yes. At least 250 tons of turf are now being delivered each week in Dublin.
I have drawn attention to the fact that none of the turf has yet been made available to the persons for whom it was intended.
The Minister indicated that there was only one source from which large quantities of turf can at present be obtained.
All the turf cut last year has been sold and consumed.
May I inquire if it is true that it was found necessary to increase the size of the already enormous turf bins in every office in Government Buildings in order to contain a day's supply of turf? Is it true that civil servants find it difficult to get into their offices around those enormous turf bins? Will the Minister indicate how long will one cwt. of turf last a poor person when civil servants require the contents of a bin so large as to incommode them in their offices?
Possibly the increase in the size of the bins was occasioned by the necessity for disposing of the stupid letters we frequently get from members of the Opposition.
There are certain rules regarding questions on the Order Paper. The same rules obtain for the relevancy of supplementary questions, though a certain latitude is given in supplementary questions, but if that latitude is abused the Chair will be constrained to consider disallowing supplementary questions.
My question was directly drawing the attention of the House to the rapid consumption of fuel and the recent failure of supply, referred to by the Minister.