asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason no assistance has been given or contact made by Irish representatives with Irish hauliers trapped by the strike in France
Private Notice Question. - Assistance for Stranded Irish Hauliers.
The Embassy in Paris has made special arrangements to facilitate the advance of funds to stranded Irish truck drivers in France. To date the Embassy has dealt with requests from four hauliers and funds have been advanced to assist in two cases. The Embassies in Bonn, Vienna, Rome and Berne have also been contacted with a view to providing assistance.
Following discussions with the Ambassador in Paris this morning it has been decided to send a representative to the French-Italian border where most of the serious difficulties are being experienced.
Officials from my Department and the Department of Communications will be meeting representatives from the Road Hauliers Association this afternoon to consider what further appropriate action the Government can take.
Is the Minister aware that in an interview after the 1.30 news today an angry haulier suggested that there was not any action by our Embassy or our representative staff in France to help out in the difficulties? How can the Minister say, then, that the Embassy in Paris have been so active?
Because that is true. I have already said that we have advanced funds to hauliers.
Is the Minister aware that the British authorities are going further than that and they are talking to the hauliers out on the ground and giving assistance of a practical nature? Will he tell the House when the Embassy staff will do something to relieve the hard-pressed Irish hauliers in France?
It is pointless sometimes to talk in this House when people do not listen to the answers you are giving. I have already said that the Embassy in Paris have contacted hauliers and have advanced funds. That is practical assistance. I do not know what the Deputy is suggesting when he said that more could be done. We could go to the French-Italian border, where, as far as we know, about 20 of the hauliers are stranded. That is something practical. The most practical thing we can do is to give funds. The reason somebody is going from the Embassy to that area is because the hauliers may find difficulty in dealing with local officials and banks in the area. The other main pocket where lorries are stranded is in Le Havre and the Irish Continental Line are acting there. They are advancing funds and giving every assistance they can. There are other cases where there are individual lorries stopped in places throughout France and we do not know precisely where they are. The reason for the meeting this evening is to find out from the Road Hauliers Association if they know where their individual members are stranded and, if so, if they have means of contacting them, to ask them to contact the Embassy in Paris where any practical assistance that is necessary will be given.
I would like to thank the Minister for that assurance, but it conflicts a little with his earlier reply.
It conflicts with what?
It conflicts with the Minister's first reply.
In what way?
In that the Minister said he would be making contact with the hauliers association this evening to find out where their hauliers are stranded and how many of them there are. The Minister suggested in his initial response he had already taken the action. I would like to know when the Department issued the instruction to the Embassy to get involved? If the Minister is so familiar with the details of this, would he indicate to the House how many Irish hauliers are stranded, how many have sought assistance to date and when we can expect to relieve the situation for the hard-pressed drivers?
I have already given the information, but the Deputy was not listening. I said there are two main pockets where there are groups of hauliers, on the French-Italian border and Le Havre. Those in Le Havre are being assisted and looked after by the Irish Continental Line. Those on the French-Italian border are another pocket and money has been advanced to them. There are individual lorries stranded in other parts of France and we do not know where they are. Maybe their parent companies know and, if so, if their drivers contact them or if they give us some way to contact them, the Embassy in Paris could contact them to see if they want assistance.
I want the initiative to be taken by the Minister.
As I said already, it has been taken by me. Lorry drivers were assisted yesterday and the day before.
Is the Minister now suggesting that the Irish driver interviewed after the 1.30 news today has not a legitimate complaint? How can he state that he and many other drivers are stranded in bad weather conditions with no money and they are suffering considerable losses? I want the Minister to assure the House that he will contact all Embassy representatives immediately and get out there on the ground to help those in trouble?
What did the Deputy say?
Would the Minister contact the Irish Hauliers Association and the embassies involved again to get representatives out to where the hauliers are stranded to start negotiations like their counterparts, the British authorities, are doing?
I have said that that is precisely what we are doing, but the Deputy must not be listening.
I am listening, but when?
I have said that this is precisely what we are doing. I did not hear the interview referred to by the Deputy and I do not know what the lorry driver in question had to say. I will try to get a transcript and hear what he said. If he is where he can be contacted and if he is short of money then I will certainly see he is contacted and given money, if that is what he wants.
I asked, Sir, for a Private Notice Question concerning the urgency of an investigation into the planting of a listening device in a home in my constituency? You have chosen once again to rule me out of order. I want to protest in the strongest possible terms ——
Deputy Woods knows perfectly well — we have had this, ad nauseum, every day — that my ruling cannot be challenged in the House like this. The question was ruled out of order and a message was sent to Deputy Woods. I do not know if he was available. I believe he is not well and I am sorry to hear it, but the message was sent to him. He should not come in here in a polite but disorderly way.
If the Chair likes to come out and run a few hundred yards or half a mile I will be glad to do it with him any time. I know that the Minister is here in the House.
If the Deputy is not careful he will be walking away from me.
It might be better if the House is not to be affected. I am very concerned about the disgraceful treatment the Minister gave to the Deputy Leader of the SDLP and to two residents in my constituency by not pursuing and seriously investigating this case.
I am sorry, Deputy Woods. I will not hear you. I must protect the Chair and protect the House.
I will use every means I can within the House and I will take advice from the Ceann Comhairle as to the means available, because I am becoming increasingly ——
The Ceann Comhairle is not in the business of giving advice.
We have got ultimately to smoke the Minister out of his bunker and get the answers for the people concerned.
I am asking the Deputy to resume his seat.
I do not want to accuse the Ceann Comhairle of in any way harbouring the Minister or defending him. I want to make it quite clear that I do not think that is happening.
Will the Deputy make his point, if he has one?
An extraordinary event has happened in the past few days. The Government——
I will not hear the Deputy. He had not even a question down. Will the Deputy resume his seat?
I want to make the point——
The Deputy knows he is not in order. I know he is not serious.
What I want to establish——
The Deputy will have to find another way to establish it.
I have tried every way to get an inquiry but he refuses——
I am not going to put up with this nonsense.
It is not nonsense. It is very serious and the Government are hiding behind the procedures available to them.
This is not in order. The Deputy will resume his seat or leave the House.
We will now leave this matter for this week. On behalf of Fianna Fáil I want to tell you that you have successfully managed to frustrate Fianna Fáil from raising important matters.
Standing Orders have frustrated them.
They have been manipulated by the Government.
We will not let this matter rest. We will find other ways to raise it. We will spend the weekend considering how exactly we can overcome a totally unfair Chair in our view.
Withdraw that statement.
(Interruptions.)
I am surprised at the Deputy if I heard him correctly. The Chair has operated Standing Orders.
We have not seen the Minister for Justice on television.
(Interruptions.)
I am calling on the Minister of State at the Department of Labour.