asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if, in view of the danger of a scarcity of fuel for the winter months, he will again review the position with a view to granting an increased bread ration allowance to private turf fuel producers who are, of necessity, away from their homes for a long period f each day owing to the fact that they work very late in the evenings, in most cases two to three hours longer than the county council turf workers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Increased Bread Ration for Turf Producers.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is now in a position to give a supplementary allowance of bread to persons, engaged in private turf production, who are not in a position to have their midday meals at home.
I propose to take questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
I would refer the Deputies to the reply given by me to a Dáil question on the 20th March last in which I stated that the supply position did not permit of an extension of the supplementary bread ration scheme to any additional classes of workers other than those to whom the scheme applied at the time or to whom I had intimated that it would apply. The supply position has not improved, sufficiently to permit of the grant of additional bread rations to turf workers other than those employed by county councils and industrial concerns and those employed by farmers who comply with the conditions governing the grant of allowances to agricultural workers.
Is the Minister aware that private producers contribute very considerably to the turf pool and will he reconsider the position with regard to these producers? In many remote areas where turf is being produced, I know that private producers contribute to a great extent, even to the supply of turf for factories, and it would be in the public interest and in the interest of fuel production generally that an allocation to these private producers should be granted.
The Deputy should not consider this question as if there was an unlimited supply of bread and flour which could be given out if only I would allow it. As I explained frequently, the supply position does not permit any substantial addition to the number of persons receiving supplementary rations. If the supply position should improve, the distribution can be increased, but I could not hold out any prospect of an improvement in the supply position until there is more definite ground on which to base an estimate us to the yield of our own harvest this year and as to the likelihood of securing additional supplies from abroad.
The Minister is aware, I am sure, that the private producers do contribute much more to the production of fuel than even the county council workers in so far as they work longer hours, and would the Minister be prepared to grant it for the turf-producing season?
Self-employed persons are, to some extent, in a position to determine their own conditions of employment but the practical difficulty, apart from the administrative proposition which would inevitably be involved for arranging for supplementary rations to private individuals, is that the supply is not there to do it.
Is the Minister aware that there is going to be a definite shortage of turf and will he investigate what shortage is being brought about by reason of the fact that private producers who would be prepared to cut turf are not able to do so now because they are unable to arrange for meals?
I am also aware that there is a shortage of flour and bread, but recognising the fact does not end the shortage.
Surely the Minister is aware that it is very important that the shortage of fuel that is going to be felt in the winter, through the failure of private persons to cut as much as they would cut otherwise, ought to be envisaged at the moment.