asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if, in view of the amount of moisture in turf, arising, to a great extent, from the system of sale by weight, he will consider requiring turf to be sold by measure, thereby discouraging hasty harvesting of turf fuel.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sale of Turf.
I refer the Deputy to my reply on the 9th May, 1944, to a similar question then asked by him, to which I have nothing to add.
Is the Minister aware that the turf supplied to the town of Dungarvan has a very high moisture content and that quite recently some people in the town were able to get supplies of turf of very good quality outside Fuel Importers Limited? Would the Minister be prepared to pay the subsidy on turf procured in this way?
The subsidy is paid only in respect of turf obtained through Fuel Importers Limited subject to the ration.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will make regulations, analogous to those which obtain in determining the price of wheat according to moisture content, requiring that the fixed price at which turf may be sold by fuel merchants will be reduced proportionately according as the moisture content of the turf rises above 25 per cent.
The Deputy's proposal is not practicable. Every effort is made to ensure that the turf supplied to fuel merchants is of the highest possible quality. Last year, however, turf was saved under very unfavourable weather conditions and there has inevitably been a deterioration in quality. The recent inclement weather has occasioned further difficulties in regard to both the quality and quantity of our turf supplies.
The Minister is aware that a sum of £200,000 was deducted from the farmers of Ireland last year in respect of the extra moisture content of their wheat. Are the fuel merchants to be allowed to get away with 50 per cent. or perhaps 75 per cent. water in the turf which they supply? If it was good enough to make a deduction in the price paid to farmers for wheat in respect of the moisture content of that wheat, I say that the fuel merchants should be nailed for the extra moisture in turf.