asked the Minister for Supplies if, in view of the large volume of complaint, he will take any steps to ensure that the turf at present being sold to the citizens of Dublin reaches them in a dry condition.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turf—Dublin Complaint.
The volume of complaints reaching my Department regarding inferior turf does not warrant acceptance of the implication in the Deputy's question regarding the condition of the turf available for domestic consumption in Dublin. The facts are that every possible precaution is taken to safeguard the quality of this turf and that the possibility of effecting improvements is kept constantly under review.
Then the Minister is not aware that wet turf is being supplied in the City of Dublin? That is the net answer of the Minister. He states that the turf is dry when, in point of fact, everybody knows that in very many instances it is wet. I know that from personal experience and I have had complaints from various parts of the city and from parts of County Dublin, such as Killiney, etc.
I think the Deputy's interpretation of my reply is entirely incorrect. The Deputy states that there is a large volume of complaints. I said my experience is that the volume of complaints, in relation to the total sales of turf, is quite small. I do not say that no wet turf is sold. Turf is a commodity which absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and it may be sold wet if delivered in bad weather, or if badly stacked in the merchant's yard, or in the consumer's yard. What I have said is that every precaution is taken by my Department, through inspection and otherwise, to ensure that the turf when delivered to the merchant is in first-class condition. The difficulty has been to ensure that the merchant will protect the turf properly in the process of delivery to consumers.
The fact remains that in many instances the turf when it reaches the consumer, which, after all, is the important point of its career, is wet.
No, I deny that emphatically. It might happen in a few cases. Where it does happen, the consumer has a right to reject the turf.
He cannot get any dry turf.
He can get dry turf.
Mr. Dockrell
I myself could not get it.
Is the Minister aware that turf delivered straight from the bog cannot be complained of, but the turf coming from the dumps is exceedingly wet?
I am not so aware.
That is the case.
I should say that the majority of the merchants would say that the reverse is the case.