asked the Minister for Supplies if he is aware that his Department allocated petrol for the haulage of fuel-timber from Dunran Wood to Newcastle station, County Wicklow, and from Dun Laoghaire station to sawmills at Bellevue Park, Killiney, but refused to grant petrol for direct haulage from Dunran Wood to sawmills; and, if so, whether in view of the necessity for securing the maximum efficiency in transport services, and the fact that in this instance the efficiency per lorry per day was 10 tons per day by combined road and rail haulage and 16 tons by direct road haulage, while the former method cost £6 per day more than the latter, he will give the reasons for his Department's decision in the matter.

I am aware of all the circumstances in the case. It has been explained on several occasions in correspondence with the Deputy over the past three months that, with the very limited supplies of petrol available, allowances for the haulage of timber can be made only on the basis of transport to and from railhead where rail services are available and that I could not grant exceptional treatment in the Deputy's case. The quantity of petrol which can be granted to any particular class of consumer is creating economic problems in most businesses but it is not possible to provide increased allowances on that account.

Does the Minister suggest to the House and to the country that it is "alternative transport" to carry goods for a distance of over 30 miles instead of by direct route of 16 miles? Does he suggest that it is a proper use of transport facilities to have four lorries feeding the railheads when the railway will handle only 40 tons in a day whereas the four lorries in the same time would handle 64 tons, while the extra cost in handling the 40 tons would be £24 a day? Is the Minister not also aware that he is imposing an impossible charge and that there is no justification for employing railways fed by lorries unless the lorries can show greater efficiency when employed with the railways than when employed without them. Here we have 60 per cent. less——

Supplementary questions should not be multiple in character.

They have a very direct bearing on the main question and they are really one question.

If there is only one question, the Deputy has put it and should permit it to be answered.

The only answer is that the Deputy cannot get any more petrol because our transport difficulties are mainly due to the scarcity of petrol.

When there is alternative transport——

That is not a question.

I am asking a question.

It is not obvious.

Is the Minister aware that these conditions make trading in these circumstances impossible and that, in this instance, it will throw 120 men out of employment?

A great deal of trading has been made impossible by the scarcity of petrol, but we cannot remedy that by giving more petrol because we have not got it.

Does the Minister suggest that it is economic use of our transport to have four lorries, plus the railway, transporting 40 tons a day instead of putting these four lorries on the road and allowing them to transport 64 tons? Last year, our whole fuel trouble was due to shortage of transport when the season came for transporting turf to Dublin.

Are we to take it that the Order is absolute, that petrol will only be allowed for transporting the timber to the nearest railway station, irrespective of whether that is a further or lesser distance than the distance to the destination?

No.

I would like to know if that is so or not.

Each case will have to be considered on its merits. The purpose is to ensure that the least quantity of petrol will be used, not to secure the most effective method of transport.

What about the shortage of railway wagons?

Question No. 12, Deputy Belton.

It is not so serious as the shortage of petrol.

Question No. 12, Deputy Belton.

This Order forces goods to travel a further distance.

Question No. 13, Deputy Mulcahy.

No wonder we are up against famine, with this incompetency. I did not hear the reply to my question, No. 12.

I called on the Deputy twice to put the question and he did not do so.

The Chair has called the next question.

I think the sooner we move to the next Government the better.