I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £19,648 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1943, for transport and meteorological services.
As Deputies will note from the Estimate, a sum of £25,000 is being provided for the construction of canal barges. Some time ago the Government, having regard to the increasing difficulty of maintaining adequate transport facilities for essential merchandise, owing to the serious supply position of petrol, oils, coal, tyres, etc., and to the further deterioration which would arise should there be a reduction in or a cessation of these imports, decided to increase canal transport facilities by the construction of 30 wooden barges, which, being horse-drawn, are entirely independent of any imported supplies.
Orders were placed for the construction of 20 barges in the first instance, and the orders for the remaining ten barges will be placed in the immediate future. Eight have been completed, and work is progressing on 12. There is already a waiting list for the available barges and a sufficient volume of work to enable them to be fully occupied.
I should make it clear that the use of the 30 barges which are being constructed, together with the fleet already in operation, will practically exhaust the capacity of the Grand Canal for barge traffic. The use of a number of barges on the Royal Canal is under consideration, but the area served by that canal does not appear to be productive of much suitable traffic. An agreement has been reached with the Grand Canal Company whereby that company, free of charge, has accepted responsibility for the renting of the barges to suitable operators for use on the Grand Canal.
The other sub-heads to the Vote relates to expenditure in connection with civil airports. Owing to the expansion of traffic at the Shannon airport, provision has to be made for additional administrative staff and additional equipment. As Deputies may have seen in the papers, an airport manager has been appointed. The person now holding the office for a probationary period is an Army officer and, for the time being, his salary will be carried on the Vote for the Department of Defence. Further administrative staff has been appointed, together with additional crews for launches. Additional messenger and cleaning services have also been provided. The use of two additional launches at the Shannon airport has involved an increased expenditure upon petrol, maintenance and insurance. Fire-fighting equipment has been provided, and certain modifications and expansion of the existing equipment is also necessary.
As Deputies are aware, there has been a considerable concentration of staff at Foynes, far in excess of what the local accommodation was capable of providing suitable living quarters for. The possibility of providing living accommodation for staff at Foynes is being considered, but, in the meantime, it has been decided to operate a subsidised bus service from Limerick for members of the staff employed at Foynes. The staff will be required to pay fares which are regarded as the maximum which could be imposed upon them, having regard to all the circumstances. But, even allowing for the payment of these fares by the staff, the cost of running the bus service will involve a weekly sum of £50, for which provision is also being made in this Estimate. The problem of staff accommodation at Foynes has become very serious, and the inauguration of this bus service for the persons employed there recently became a matter of urgency.
This development in connection with the utilisation of the base at Foynes contemplates that it will be necessary to continue to use Foynes at least for the duration of the emergency, and possibly for some time thereafter. The difficulty of procuring equipment has held up work on the construction of the flying-boat base at Rhynanna. It is considered necessary and desirable that we should provide, not merely adequate safety equipment at Foynes, but also all the other facilities necessary to make it a first-class airport, even though we contemplate that at a later stage the terminal of the Atlantic air services will be transferred to Rhynanna. Deputies will note that increase is anticipated under the item of "Appropriations-in-Aid" The particular increase shown there arises out of the fares to be paid by members of the staff upon the bus service to which I have referred.
