asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he has any plans to provide sufficient supplies of petrol for people returning from England for Christmas.
Ceisteann—Questions. Oral Answers. - Christmas Petrol Supplies.
4.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 26, 27, 28 and 29 on 5th December, 1973, on the current oil supply situation. It would not be practicable to provide special petrol supplies for Christmas visitors. Any such persons intending to bring their cars home for the holiday should endeavour to make prior arrangements with their relatives and friends to ensure some supplies.
Is the Minister aware that some 3,000 people have booked to take cars to Ireland during the Christmas period? Apart from the importance of this to the economy would the Minister not consider it advisable to give some guarantee to those people in relation to petrol supplies?
I could not give any such guarantee. If there were formal rationing here I suppose we would make arrangements regarding supplies for these people but we could not do so at a more favourable rate than for the ordinary citizen of the country. Since there is no such formal rationing people coming home for Christmas cannot be treated more favourably than the people of the country.
I am talking about people of the country. The Minister is adopting a very unfair attitude in this instance. These people are using this opportunity to visit their families, in some cases they are fathers returning to their families for Christmas.
We cannot have statements at Question Time. The Deputy will be afforded an opportunity of airing his grievance on this matter when it is the subject of a special debate on Tuesday next.
In any case, I do not think his suggestion is practicable.