asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state the nature of the proposals stated by the Dublin Coal Distributors' Association to have been put by them to his Department and the coal importers, the non-acceptance of which resulted in the recent protest by Dublin bellmen, and, further, what steps he proposes to take to help the bellmen to obtain supplies more expeditiously.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bellmen's Coal Supplies.
Certain proposals for improvements in the conditions for the supply of coal to Dublin bellmen at the coal dumps, including proposals for additional dumps and the employment of additional workers in the existing dumps, were put forward on behalf of the bellmen by the Dublin Coal Distributors' Association and officers of my Department are at present engaged, in consultation with the Dublin coal merchants, in making arrangements to remove so far as possible the cause of complaint in this matter.
The position was explained very fully to a deputation of the Dublin Coal Distributors' Association in my Department on Friday the 18th instant, and it was arranged that bellmen from the district north of the Liffey, who had discontinued taking supplies, would resume immediately and that the arrangememnt at the central dumps would be adjusted satisfactorily.
asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state in respect of each of the months October, November, December, 1940, and January, February, March 1941, the details of how the margin between the import price (c.i.f.) of the coal sold to bellmen in Dublin and the price charged to them, was made up, including the amounts included therein in respect of (1) discharging of coal from the ship, (2) payment of harbour dues, (3) cartage of coal from quay-side to merchant's yard, (4) allowances in respect of short weight, (5) filling and topping-off, (6) other charges; and the total amount of such margin.
The information sought by the Deputy is of a confidential nature concerning the business of coal merchants in Dublin, and I do not feel free to publish such information in regard to these traders, any more than in the case of other traders whose prices are subject to control in my Department during the present emergency. The information asked for in the question has already been furnished in confidence to the Deputy.
Do I understand that there is a letter coming to me at the present time, which I have not received, in respect to which the information is to be confidential?
I understood the Deputy received the information personally.
I certainly did not.
Then I am prepared to look further into the matter.
When the Minister is looking further into the matter will he refer to the information that he gave with regard to one of these months during the debates on, I think, the 13th or 14th March?
Certainly.