asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce what steps are being taken to ensure the provision of adequate facilities in connection with the cross-Channel tourist traffic during the next peak period of July and August.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cross-Channel Tourist Facilities.
In view of the recurring difficulties on the Dún Laoghaire/Holyhead route I wrote personally to the British Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation last year asking him to intervene with a view to obtaining from the British Transport Commission an assurance that they would provide an adequate service at all times. As a result, the chairman of the London-Midland Board came to Dublin and gave me an undertaking that everything possible would be done to provide adequate and comfortable services.
The British Transport Commission have since indicated that they have taken a number of measures to improve the cross-Channel services. These measures include:—
(a) An increased number of extra sailings on both the Dún Laoghaire/ Holyhead and Rosslare/Fishguard routes during July and August. On the former route there will be 25 extra sailings inwards and 24 outwards during these months. On the latter route there will be four extra inward sailings and one outwards.
(b) Increased accommodation for third-class passengers.
(c) A 20 per cent. reduction in fares in mid-week from 1st May to mid-September. This inducement was introduced last year, but this season it has come into operation six weeks earlier.
(d) Increased allocations of sailing tickets to London, Birmingham and Manchester offices. Previously these tickets have been based mainly at Holyhead.
(e) Publicity designed to attract to alternative services passengers who fail to obtain accommodation on the Dún Laoghaire/Holyhead route.
I hope that these arrangements may result in improved services this year and I have asked An Bord Fáilte to keep this matter under close review.
Will the Minister state if he is satisfied that there will be no "racket" in sailing tickets such as there is in Dublin in relation to cinema tickets?
I think every possible step has been taken to ensure that there will be a substantial improvement this year. That obviously presupposes the elimination of anything which could be described as a "racket".