asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether, in view of the large increase in the sugar beet acreage in the country, he will permit private lorry owners who do nothold a merchandise licence to carry beet to the factories by making an exemption Order as has been done in the case of wheat and turf.

Under the provisions of the Transport Act, 1950, C.I.E. are charged with the duty of providing the necessary transport facilities to meet the needs of the public, agriculture, commerce and industry. I have no reason to believe that C.I.E. and the licensed hauliers who engage in this traffic will not be able to provide all the transport necessary for the increased beet crop and accordingly I do not consider that there are grounds which would justify making an exemption Order in respect of this traffic.

Has the Minister not in the past made exemption Orders in respect of wheat and turf?

Yes. There are Orders in force at present exempting beet and turf from the operations of the Transport Act.

If there is any difficulty in transporting them will the Minister make an Order?

The Deputy might as well appreciate that C.I.E. normally supplement their own fleet by hiring arrangements with lorry owners. Last year they hired 350 lorries to supplement their own ones during the transport season for these commodities and they do not anticipate any difficulty in taking the same action this year.

Does C.I.E. not get a "rake-off" on the money made by the private lorries?

They hire the private lorries and pay the private owners.

And they charge 10 per cent. in addition to what they pay the lorry owners?

It is the other way round. They pay the private lorry owners somewhat less than what they get.