Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 16 Feb 1944

Vol. 92 No. 9

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Great Southern Railways Lorries.

asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state for the most recent date for which the information is available: (a) number of lorries owned by the Great Southern Railways, and (b) number of these lorries fitted with gas producer plants; and whether any exemptions have been given to the railway company in respect of the general Order on the matter.

The number of commercial goods vehicles owned by the Great Southern Railways at the commencement of this year was 550. The number of vehicles taxed and used, however, is considerably less and varies from month to month in relation to seasonal traffic demands.

Thirty-seven commercial goods vehicles owned by the company have, up to the present, been registered with my Department as fitted with gas producer plants.

No exemption from the general conditions governing the fitting of gas producer plants to commercial goods vehicles has been granted to the Great Southern Railways Company, nor is any such exemption proposed.

The Minister's Department has the rule of one in three— that for every three lorries taxed, at least one will be fitted with a gas producer. Does the same regulation apply to the Great Southern Railways? In many cases, he has refused petrol to lorries because they have not complied with this condition.

The same regulation applies to the Great Southern Railways Company. I should say, however, that I directed the Great Southern Railways not to withdraw from service, during the period of the peak traffic in grain and beet, lorries which were needed for those traffics in order to fit them with producer plants. Those plants have, I understand, been manufactured and are now being fitted.

Very well.

Will the Minister say as from what date the regulation applied to the Great Southern Railways Company? Will he say that it was as and from the same date as it applied to private companies?

Certainly.

Will the Minister then explain why only 37 have been fitted so far?

For the reason that I have given. The company proceeded with the manufacture of a large number of plants which could have been fitted, but if that were done it would mean that a number of the vehicles would have to be withdrawn from service. The traffics did not permit of that. Under the arrangement made, a fitting programme was agreed upon which satisfied me that the company were carrying out the regulation.

And the same thing applied to every other company?

The same treatment was given to every operator.

Has not the Minister stated that all the lorries owned by the Great Southern Railways Company were not in service? If that is so, could not the company have fitted some of those lorries with gas producer plants?

May I point out that the withdrawal of the petrol allowance to other transport operators occurred only where it appeared that no arrangements had been made to equip their vehicles with gas producer plants? In every case where transport operators produced evidence that orders had been placed for the plants, or that the plants were in process of manufacture, the petrol facilities were continued. The same treatment was given to the Great Southern Railways Company except that in their case, because of the magnitude of the scale of their operations, it was necessary to ensure that their fitting programme did not cause any interruption in transport facilities. They, of course, had to make a larger number of plants than other operators would require. These plants have now, I understand, been manufactured, and the company are in every respect carrying out the requirements of the regulation. The company have been granted no exemption whatever from the conditions attached to other operators.

Surely the Minister is evading the question. He has already said that all the lorries owned by the Great Southern Railways Company were not in service. I suggested that, if that were so, it would facilitate the company in taking lorries in and having them fitted with gas producers.

Surely the Deputy appreciates that the time when all the lorries are required is when the grain and beet traffics are at their highest. That is the one period in the year in which it is not possible to withdraw all lorries from service. It is now possible to do so, and the fitting of these gas producer plants is proceeding.

The regulation did not come into force until the grain season started?

It was made last year and is being applied in precisely the same way to the Great Southern Railways Company as it is to every other company.

Barr
Roinn