asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) what percentage of commodities shipped between this country and England is carried in Irish bottoms; and (b) what percentage of the crews of cross-Channel passenger and general cargo ships are Irish citizens.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cross-Channel Shipping.
Apart from the fact that the Deputy has not indicated whether he has Irish-registered or Irish-owned ships in mind, the statistics in regard to trade and shipping are not compiled in such a way as would make it feasible to give the figures asked for in the question. There are some Irish-owned ships not registered in this country and conversely. In the case of the two main companies which engage in cross-Channel services all the ships of one are on the British register and some of the ships of the other company are on the Irish register. There are a number of other Irish and British companies who engage in the cross-Channel trade and some of the trade is carried in ships of other nationalities. Of the two principal companies engaged in the cross-Channel service it is believed that in one case the majority of the crews are signed on in Dublin and that in the other case the crews contain only a small number of Irishmen.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that at the moment there is not one 100 per cent. Irish-owned and operated ship engaged in the cross-Channel trade? Is he further aware that all the coal imported into the port of Dublin by the Electricity Supply Board and Córas Iompair Éireann is imported into Dublin port in foreign bottoms?