asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware (a) of the hardship imposed on lorry owners in the South Kerry area, who were formerly employed on the turf scheme, by reason of their being refused merchandise licences by his Department under existing regulations; and (b) that the Kerry County engineer could not employ these lorries for hauling road material and has to get motor vehicles from outside the county to do this work at considerable expense; and, if so, whether he is prepared to issue merchandise licences to these lorry owners for this and other purposes so as to provide them with employment locally.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Kerry Lorry Owners.
I fully appreciate the present difficulties of lorry owners who were engaged in the transport of turf and wood during the emergency. Representations were made to me last year by the associations representative of these lorry owners for the issue of merchandise licences to enable them to engage in general transport. On examination of the position I found that the public transport being provided by the statutory undertakers and the licensed hauliers was already excessive for all the freight offering. If a further large number of lorry owners were to be admitted to compete for the merchandise available for transport there would not be a reasonable living in the business for them or for those already licensed to engage in the trade and I came to the conclusion that it would not be in the public interest to grant additional merchandise licences.
Is the Minister aware that in other areas outside Kerry there are ten merchandise licences for every one in Kerry? I suggest it is time that there should be some examination of the whole position with a view to a fair distribution of licences, apart altogether from the transport question. There is no equity in the present arrangement.
The Deputy is now making a speech and not asking a supplementary question.