Vol. 219 No. 7
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware that a large number of the men at present laid off from Irish Steel Limited would get employment from Verolme Dockyard if some of the vessels owned by State subsidised shipping had their annual overhaul and repairs carried out in that dockyard, thus eliminating the dreary prospect facing these workers of being unemployed over the Christmas period; and if he will make immediate representations to these shipping companies to this end.
20.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will state the total amount paid to foreign dockyards by (1) Irish Shipping Limited and (2) all other State subsidised companies engaged in shipping for annual overhauls and repairs during the year January to December, 1964 and the period January to June, 1965; and the amount paid to dockyards in Republic of Ireland for the same period.
21.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will state (a) the names and tonnage of all vessels owned by (1) Irish Shipping Ltd., (ii) the B & I Company Ltd., and (iii) any other State or semi-State companies, (b) the estimated cost of annual overhaul of each vessel and the time it is expected to take for each overhaul, (c) the proposed dockyard to which each vessel is allocated for annual overhaul, and (d) the reasons, if any, why some of these vessels are sent abroad for overhaul; and if he will make a statement of policy on this matter.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 19, 20 and 21 together.
I also propose with permission to circulate with the Official Report a statement showing the names and tonnages of the vessels concerned.
As already indicated in replies to previous questions the repair and overhaul of vessels operated by these companies is the responsibility of their respective boards. I am aware that it is the policy of the boards to have their vessels repaired at Irish yards whenever it is feasible and economic to do so and that substantial sums are expended by the companies in Irish yards. It will be appreciated also that circumstances are bound to arise from time to time in which repair work must necessarily be carried out abroad especially in the case of those vessels which do not call regularly to Irish ports.
I would also refer the Deputy to my replies to his questions on this subject on 24th November and 1st December, 1965.
It is not the practice to publish the other detailed information sought by the Deputy from which transactions of individual companies could be identified.
Following is the statement:
Names and Gross Tonnage of ships owned by certain State-sponsored Companies.
|
Company |
Name of Ship |
Gross Tonnage |
|
Irish Shipping Ltd. |
“Irish Alder” |
8,266 |
|
“Irish Ash” |
8,269 |
|
|
“Irish Cedar” |
10,477 |
|
|
“Irish Fir” |
1,752 |
|
|
“Irish Larch” |
6,218 |
|
|
“Irish Maple” |
6,218 |
|
|
“Irish Oak” |
5,049 |
|
|
“Irish Plane” |
9,000 |
|
|
“Irish Poplar” |
8,012 |
|
|
“Irish Rose” |
1,749 |
|
|
“Irish Rowan” |
10,533 |
|
|
“Irish Spruce” |
8,019 |
|
|
“Irish Sycamore” |
10,560 |
|
|
“Irish Willow” |
1,743 |
|
|
“Irish Holly” |
2,940 |
|
|
British & Irish Steampacket Co. Ltd. |
m.v. “Dundalk” |
710 |
|
m.v. “Glanmire” |
814 |
|
|
m.v. “Inniscarra” |
584 |
|
|
m.v. “Innisfallen” |
3,741 |
|
|
m.v. “Kilkenny” |
1,320 |
|
|
m.v. “Leinster” |
4,115 |
|
|
m.v. “Munster” |
4,142 |
|
|
m.v. “Meath” |
1,558 |
|
|
m.v. “Wicklow” |
586 |
|
|
Córas Iompair Éireann |
m.v. “Naomh Eanna” |
482 |
Is the Minister aware that those people who are now idle in Irish Steel Limited, referred to in Question No. 19, would not be unemployed if the other subsidised company, CIE, had not used British corrugated iron in the shed they opened last Monday in Mallow?
Who opened that?
The Minister for Transport and Power. Am I to get the figures asked for in Question No. 21, in regard to the amount spent by those State-subsidised companies in foreign dockyards and in Irish dockyards? Am I to get the total amount paid by Irish Shipping Limited, the B and I Company Limited, and the others, to foreign dockyards for work carried out? I am sure the Minister, as a responsible Minister, is aware of the effect that this amount of money could have, if used in giving employment to our own people, on the balance of payments that he is talking about.
That is a speech, not a question.
It is not a Fianna Fáil speech.
Perhaps the Minister did not know it was made in England. Perhaps there was printed on it "Déanta i Sasana".
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I propose, with your permission, to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy in the course of the day.
