asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he intends to extend the granting of road transport licences for the carriage of livestock generally; and, if so, if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Transport Licences.
6.
As I informed the House on 11th February last, I am examining the recommendations made to me by the road transport study group on the subject of the facilities available for livestock carriage.
I am not yet in a position to make a statement in the matter.
Surely it is reckless at a time when prices for cattle are most unsatisfactory and when it is most important that the free flow of cattle exports should be maintained to leave this matter on the long finger? If there is any doubt in the Minister's mind about this business why should he not for, say, a three-month or six-month period suspend the necessity for having a licence to carry livestock while he is excogitating the advice he is receiving, fixing everybody with notice that at the end of that period a permanent arrangement may take a different form? Ad interim it simply is not possible to shift the cattle without the assistance of unregistered transport.
This is not a new development which has recently taken place and, as I stated in the reply— and I referred the Deputy to previous replies—the Minister is at present examining the recommendations which he has before him, and he is reasonably satisfied that he will be able to come up with a solution pretty shortly.
I accept that, but may I urge on the Minister most strenuously to consult with the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, and consider whether ad interim, for three months or for six months, the whole licensing regulations could be suspended, fixing all with notice that a new scheme is in contemplation and that at the end of this period of general freedom a new scheme may come into operation because, in these critical months when very large quantities of cattle may be moved, there may be serious hindrances to an exceptionally profitable cattle trade that is available to us in contemplation of the new price review in Great Britain and, if there is any hold up in cattle shipments, we may lose a very precious market? You cannot do any harm by suspending the whole thing for three months.
In this, I trust the Minister will bear in mind the interests of those who get their livelihood from haulage.
This is the point. Deputy Dillon suggested that the Minister should get in contact with the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. He is in very close contact with the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries in this very important matter. All of those factors have to be taken into consideration. I do not think as Deputy Dillon suggested that the ideal at the moment is the creation of some sort of patchwork arrangement.
A free for all for three months.
It is not as easy as that.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say if it has been brought to his notice that at various marts it is usual for licensed hauliers to be left unloaded, while the pirates are able to fill up their loads and move on? Is he aware that on numerous occasions people with licences do not get a run at all from the marts because of the fact that the other people are at present operating on a big scale?
There is very little in this regard that has not been brought to the Minister's attention in recent months.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the fact that a considerable number of licensed cattle hauliers are depending on this business for their livelihood and, if he throws it open to the general public to participate in this business, he will be jeopardising the livelihood of a certain sector of the community who have invested a large sum of money in this business? I would ask him to consider this.
I am asking for three months to shift the cattle and do anything you damn well like then.
If the Parliamentary Secretary gives a free for all, will he introduce compensation for the men who have invested so much money in these plates already?
Three months will not break anyone.
If there is to be a critical three months as Deputy Dillon has said, I do not think a free for all should be allowed. Perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary might consider the granting of temporary licences to a limited number of people. I met five of these people recently who depend on this for their livelihood and they violently object to any sort of a free for all because this is their only source of income. This is their real livelihood.
I am primarily concerned with shifting the cattle.
I am primarily concerned to see that men get their livelihood.
Order.
The supplementaries from five different Deputies have indicated the various points of view that must be taken into consideration and, peculiarly enough, the one person who seemed to be left out of consideration in the cases made was the farmer. It goes to show how difficult this problem is. There is no question but that the Minister is taking all those considerations that have been mentioned into account. I do not think that the patch-work arrangement or the temporary arrangement suggested by Deputy Dillon—which was thrown out in all good faith—would be the ideal solution.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary know that it would help the farmer?
I will allow one more question.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that a similar answer was given to a similar question two years ago? Is he also aware that lorry owners and drivers are being harassed on the roads by squad cars? They are often stopped at least four or five times from the time they leave the west until they arrive in Dublin. I admit the men who stop them in the squad cars are doing their duty.
That is a separate question.
Would the Minister resolve this question as quickly as he possibly can in everyone's interest?
That is what I have just said.