asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state whether his sanction was given to the erection of houses at Fairview by a German firm, also whether his sanction was given to the contract for lead to a German firm; further, if he will state the number and terms of the contracts which he has sanctioned for foreign firms this year, and by what amounts the Irish firms exceeded the foreign tenders, and whether in arriving at a fair tender consideration was given to the cost of living figure and taxation in the foreigners' country compared with that of the Irish tenderer.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - CONTRACTS TO GERMAN AND FOREIGN FIRMS.
Sanction has been given to the tender accepted by the Dublin City Commissioners of Messrs. Kossel, of Bremen, for building houses at a saving of £4,940 over the best local tender. No sanction, of which I am aware, has been given to a contract for lead. With the exception of a contract for medicines, which forms the subject of reply to another question to-day, no other sanctions to foreign firms have been given. All relevant and appropriate considerations are fully adverted to in any case where sanction is accorded to any foreign tender.