Dempsey refuses cash support for hauliers

MINISTER FOR Transport Noel Dempsey has again ruled out any financial support for hauliers in difficulty due to rising fuel costs. Mr Dempsey instead suggested they might impose a fuel surcharge similar to that employed by airlines.

The Minister’s department is however to embark on a number of “non-cash” initiatives, including a crackdown on rogue hauliers, in conjunction with the Garda.

The crackdown, which Garda authorities have confirmed, will see increased spot inspections for usage of agricultural diesel, breaches of the Waste Management Act, driver time and other regulations.

A Garda spokesman said the checkpoints would be particularly active at night and over the weekends when much of the illegal haulage is thought to take place. “Letters of comfort” are to be given to legitimate hauliers to ensure they do not get repeatedly inspected on their journeys.

Irish Road Haulage Association president Jimmy Quinn told The Irish Times yesterday he accepted “the cupboard was bare” in relation to financial support from the Government.

However, he said a range of non-cash measures had been agreed, including the clampdown on rogue hauliers.

Mr Quinn said some unscrupulous individuals were using haulage as a cover for smuggling drugs and breaches of excise laws and were able to undercut legitimate hauliers for contracts.

Following meetings with gardaí and the department, though, he was confident action would be taken against “those who have no business in the haulage business”.

The Irish Road Haulage Association is to meet again on Wednesday night next to discuss the Government’s response to the plight.

Mr Dempsey yesterday said he had had talks with the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec), the exporters associations and business generally “to ensure they were being fair to their hauliers”.

Mr Dempsey said he had sympathy for the hauliers but a 1 per cent cut in VAT, for example, would cost the State €400 million.

Commending the hauliers for acting responsibly, Mr Dempsey said he was aware of the seriousness of the rising price of diesel, “but I don’t think at a time when the economy is what it is, that stopping exports, stopping goods getting in or out of the country would be good for anybody.”

Hauliers could calculate themselves what their fuel surcharge was, just as an airline did, and pass that on, he added.

“The difficulty they are in is that some people will say fine, some people have just said no, we are not paying any fuel surcharge we’ll go elsewhere. Some will do it on a case by case basis . . .

“The exporters have to recognise they [the hauliers] are in difficulty and the best way to work this out is by both of those doing what they can and working out an agreement in relation to that,” he said.