asked the Minister for Transport and Power if, in view of the statement in the recent Industrial Development Authority report on industrial grants that 30 per cent of the industrialists surveyed were dissatisfied with internal transport services in this country, he will meet the industrialists concerned and ensure that this obstacle to providing employment will be removed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Internal Transport Services.
5.
The Deputy is quoting from paragraph four point eight (4.8) of the Report but the statement he quotes must be read together with the remaining parts of paragraph four and also part twenty-one of paragraph six which summarises the view of the survey team as follows:
Many managements complained about transport costs but produced little evidence that such costs represented a significant element in total unit costs. There seemed to be considerable scope for action on the part of managements themselves to minimise their transport costs (paragraphs 4.8 to 4.13). Having regard to the general trend towards free trade conditions, the present restrictions on the use of private transport might merit re-examination in so far as they affect manufacturing industries, particularly export industries.
As the Deputy is aware, I have since eased in various ways the restrictions on licensed transport and I have constituted a working group to examine in greater depth the case for further liberalisation. I should however point out that the CSO Survey of 1964 indicated that approximately 83 per cent of all road freight transport is performed in own account vehicles and that only 17 per cent is handled by licensed hauliers and CIE road transport.