Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1979 > Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities > Report No. 55 - Weight of Goods Vehicles

IMEACHTAÍ AN CHOMHCHOISTE

PROCEEDINGS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE

Dé Céadaoin, 27 Meitheamh, 1979

Wednesday, 27th June, 1979

1. The Joint Committee met at 3.30 p.m.

2. Members Present.

The following Members were present:

Deputies Clinton (in the Chair), Daly, Griffin, Keegan, Noonan, O’Keeffe, Smith and Woods; Senators Conroy, Hyland, Mulcahy and Robinson.

Senator McDonald, Member of the European Parliament, also attended.

6. Draft Report on Weights of Goods Vehicles.

The Joint Committee resumed consideration of Senator Robinson’s Draft Report.

(i) Paragraphs 1 to 11, inclusive, agreed to.

(ii) Paragraph 12.

Paragraph read as follows:

“12. The Joint Committee is fully convinced of the need to keep transport costs as low as possible particularly in view of the rising cost of energy. It believes that Ireland has a particular and vital interest in furthering this objective in view of the large proportion of our trade with the rest of the Community that is carried on roll-on/roll-off services. The object of the draft Directive, which is to permit the carrying capacity of vehicles to be increased, is in line with this objective. However, until such time as the necessary improvements to our inadequate road system are implemented the Committee cannot see how Ireland can support a proposal to permit even heavier goods vehicles from other Member States using our roads and adding to the environmental problems already being caused by this type of traffic.”

Amendment proposed (Senator Robinson):

“On page 5 to delete the last sentence in paragraph 12 and substitute the following:—

‘However, the main difficulty for Ireland arises from the inadequacy of the road system in this country and it must be recognised that to permit even heavier goods vehicles from other Member States to use our roads will add to the environment problems already being caused by this type of traffic’.”

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Amendment proposed (Deputy Clinton):

“To delete the last sentence of the paragraph and substitute the following:

‘Moreover the proposal is in line with the aims of the common transport policy which the Committee fully supports. The difficulty, however, as far as Ireland is concerned is that the existing road system is not adequate for heavy vehicular traffic and allowing even heavier goods vehicles from other Member States to use our roads would undoubtedly aggravate existing environmental problems. While accepting that the proposal must be supported in the interests of the common transport policy the Committee believes that it does highlight the strength of Ireland’s case for Community assistance for infrastructural development without which it will be physically impossible to accommodate the axle weights proposed in many areas of our country’.”

Amendment agreed to.

Paragraph, as amended, agreed to.

(iii) Paragraphs 13 to 16, inclusive, agreed to.

(iv) Appendices I and II agreed to.

Draft Report, as amended, agreed to.

Ordered: To report accordingly.

9. Adjournment.

The Joint Committee adjourned at 4.40 p.m.