asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport why it has been found necessary to require all road hauliers to have a certificate of competence from 1st January 1978; and if he intends to change the regulations which now make it an offence to haul outside a 15 mile radius of Dublin.

16.

asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport when he proposes to introduce a transportation Bill; and if he proposes to reintroduce the Road Transport Bill, 1976 which lapsed on the dissolution of the 20th Dáil.

19.

asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport when he proposes to introduce the Road Transport Bill; and the changes in road transport legislation that are contemplated.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take questions Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 19 together.

There are 1,198 merchandise licences extant at the moment including 841 general haulage licences issued in 1933 and 1945, and 357 issued subsequently, the latter being restricted to specialised haulage of one kind or another; some licensees hold more than one licence and the total number of licensees is 1,086.

I am not satisfied that under the provisions of the 1944 Act I would be justified in granting licences for general haulage at the present time, but licences for specialised haulage are granted in cases where I am satisfied, as required by the Act, that they meet an inadequacy of transport. Such licences are granted fairly frequently.

The requirement to have a certificate of competence arises under a 1974 EEC directive and is designed to improve standards in road freight haulage. It will apply only to hauliers who commenced business on or after the 1st January, 1975.

As regards the other matters raised and in particular the question of the introduction of a Road Transport Bill, it is my intention to introduce such a Bill in the near future. I am not in a position to give an indication of the content of the Bill at this stage.

Does the Minister not agree that the present system is outmoded in that since 1947 only 841 licences were issued? When introducing the Bill, will the Minister take the opportunity of liberalising the system of merchandise licensing?

I am considering every aspect of road transport.

With regard to the 15-mile radius of Dublin limit does the Minister not feel that this is causing hardship to certain hauliers and firms? I am thinking of firms such as Roadstone, Readymix and so on. If they go outside the radius they are in contravention of the law and this is causing unnecessary hardship. Would the Minister consider revising the regulations in this respect?

That is a separate question and does not relate to any of the other questions.

It relates to question No. 15.

I will be concerning myself with all aspects. What my decisions ultimately will be is another matter.

Does the Minister agree that the introduction of comprehensive legislation is urgent? Under the legislation prepared by the National Coalition hauliers drawing six tons or under would be exempt from the regulations and in view of that many people were looking forward to the introduction of it. The people concerned only carried out work in their own area, a succession of the carter system.

I am not in a position to give an indication of the content of the Bill which will be introduced but it is my intention to introduce it in the near future.

In view of the anomalies and difficulties in relation to the various aspects of road transport raised in the House and in view of the fact that the Minister has stated that he intends introducing a Bill dealing with road transport in the near future, would the Minister not agree that the time has arrived to take a comprehensive look at the question of transport here? Would the Minister agree that the desirable approach should not be to introduce a succession of patchwork transport Bills such as happened in the past but to carry out the comprehensive review I suggested and that further transport legislation should be within the context of the overall national guidelines?

The Deputy will recall that in reply to previous questions I pointed out that we were setting up an advisory body to advise on this matter.

I am aware of that but I want the Minister to tell the House if the proposed Bill will be based on the advice he has got or will it be a separate matter?

The advisory body has not been set up yet.

I believe I am correct in saying that the Taoiseach, and possibly the Minister, announced recently that a Bill dealing with road transport would be introduced soon. The Minister has told the House that he was not sure what the content of that Bill would be, but I should like to know in what substantial respect will it differ from the Bill dealing with road transport which was on the Order Paper for the 20th Dáil and lapsed when that Dáil was disolved?

I could not give an answer to that.

The Minister must be aware in what respect that Bill is not satisfactory. If it is satisfactory why not reinstate it?

When the new Bill is introduced we will have an opportunity of discussing it fully.

This question is not on the Order Paper and it would not be accepted as a Private Notice question.

The question refers to a Bill dealing with road transport which the Taoiseach and the Minister said would be introduced shortly. The Taoiseach said it would resemble, although not be indentical with, the Bill dealing with road transport which lapsed with the last Dáil. I want to know from the Minister the substantial respects in which it will be different from the last Bill, if any, or is this another cosmetic exercise to try to pretend that it is new legislation and not National Coalition legislation?

I do not think that is a reasonable question.

Can we take it that in view of the unsatisfactory position at present regarding merchandise licences and the considerable confusion that now exists following the introduction of the last Bill the Minister will act with all speed in introducing this Bill?

Why can the Minister not bring in the old Bill and amend it as it goes through the House?