asked the Minister for Transport and Power the steps, if any, that have been taken to increase the oil storage capacity of the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Oil Situation.
136.
The matter of increasing the oil storage capacity of the country is being examined in my Department and consultations have already taken place with the oil companies on the subject.
Can the Minister say when there will be an announcement on the increasing of the storage capacity? In what areas will this increase take place and what percentage increase in storage will there be?
It would be premature to attempt to answer those questions at present. The matter is being looked into. Hitherto storage capacity has not been a constraint on ability to import fuel. Nonetheless in order to ensure the position for the future and because of various EEC and OECD requirements the question of storage capacity is being looked into. I could not answer the Deputy's question at this time.
Is the Minister satisfied that the multi-national companies have made excessive profits?
That is a separate question.
They are now changing their attitude in regard to individual tenants, particularly the Esso Company, and looking for extra profits again.
Question No. 137.
Is the Minister aware of that?
It does not arise.
The Chair has called the next question.
Question Time is the only opportunity Members have of getting the Government to account for their day-to-day administration of the nation's affairs. After 4th April, Private Members' Time will be gone again.
On several occasions I failed to get in a second supplementary question.
I allowed the Deputy a lot of questions today.
Thank you. Can I have another supplementary?
(Interruptions.)
May I ask another supplementary?
No, the Chair has passed on to the next question. The Chair will not be barracked in this fashion.
I am sorry if the Chair feels I am barracking but I am speaking on behalf of my constituents.
The Chair will not be intimidated. I am passing to the next question.
There is a big change, a Cheann Comhairle, since you made the Chair. There is a big change from the time you were on this side of the House.
The Deputy should behave himself.
I always behave myself.
137.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is satisfied that the advisory service available to him on matters pertaining to the oil situation is adequate.
I am satisfied that the advisory services available on matters pertaining to current oil supply problems are adequate. I am kept informed on this subject through regular meetings with the heads of the oil companies, and officers of my Department are also in daily contact with the companies. In addition, I am kept informed of the oil situation both in European and other countries through regular attendance by officers of my Department at European Economic Community and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development meetings. Also an officer of the Irish Embassy is in constant touch with the Department of Energy in London. I have, in addition, met a Minister of the previous UK administration.
In the light of future developments it may prove necessary to secure specialised advice or information from time to time.
Would the Minister agree that the day has long passed when such specialised service is required by our Government in an advisory capacity regarding the oil situation? What individual effort have we made as a nation to have that type of specialised, specialist and technical service, not of an intellectual nature but of a practical nature, made available to us? Since July we have known about this situation.
The situation is that the current sources of information are adequate at this time and the need for specialised advice, intellectual or unintellectual, has not arisen. We do not exclude the possibility that this may arise and we will not hesitate to get such advice as and when it becomes necessary.
Would the Minister not agree that during December and January it was obvious that the only information available to the Minister in the hot seat at that time was from the multi-national oil companies?
I fail to see the relevancy of this supplementary.
The Minister has said there was no necessity for this service up to now but I am emphatically suggesting to the Minister that from the end of July the advisory service available to the Government was absolutely inadequate.
The Deputy is labouring under a misconception. The information he is concerned about over that period is information on the position of oil supplies. That information may come from the oil companies, from other governments and international organisations. Domestic advice here will not help us in regard to that problem. The sources of information are abroad and we have, through these organisations and the contacts I have mentioned, excellent contacts for that purpose. Specialised advice could arise in relation to future projects which we might undertake. When that happens we certainly will seek that advice.
Would the Minister agree that there is a case for training our own people in this regard?
I agree we should have accessible to us advice which may be needed in the future for developments. It may well be that past neglect has left us in the background in this respect. Nonetheless, whether we have to seek advice from at home or abroad if it is necessary in the future it will be sought.
To put it in simple terms, have we sent technical people employed by us into the oil exporting countries to examine the situation in depth and report back to the Government?
The Deputy is under a complete misconception as to how the flow of information operates.
The Minister is in the same position.
It is not confined to multi-nationals nor should it be. A number of agencies of the EEC and the OECD are concerned and their power and resources to secure information on oil supplies is much greater than anything we can do in an individual country.
They are not under our control.
That means we have done nothing.