Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I congratulate my colleagues, Deputies Áine Collins and Heather Humphreys, on their work with the working group on fuel prices. I thank the Minister for his comments on his work with his UK counterpart on cabotage. When it was introduced in Europe, the knock-on implications for Irish hauliers in the United Kingdom were not envisaged. We now have the ludicrous situation where Irish hauliers need to come back from there with empty trailers. It is killing the industry. I know of specific cases of specialised Irish hauliers who in transporting parts for wind turbines in Scotland, owing to the cabotage rules, were forced to return with empty trailers. I encourage the Minister to continue his work in finding a solution to this problem. We cannot lose hauliers at a time when the economy is in a difficult position. It is hauliers we are going to need to transport goods and produce as the economy grows.

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