asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether he is aware that while the value of furniture purchased in the Free State tends to decline, the value of the furniture imported to date this year is not materially less than that imported in the corresponding period of last year. and that complaint has been made that inferior furniture produced under unfair conditions is being imported into the country, and the harmony between furniture manufacturers and their employees thereby jeopardised, and whether he will have inquiry made in this matter with a view to removing as early as possible any such causes of complaint as might interfere with the successful application to the industry of the terms of the Conditions of Employment Bill, 1935.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Importation of Furniture.
I do not accept the statement in the first part of the question that the value of furniture purchased in the Saorstát tends to decline but I am aware of the position in regard to the value of the imports of furniture.
Isolated complaints of the nature referred to by the Deputy were made to my Department but they did not indicate any tendency to disturb the harmony between furniture manufacturers and their employees. Accordingly I do not consider that the situation calls for any special inquiry of the nature suggested in the last part of the question but the position generally in the industry is constantly under review in my Department.
Are we to understand from the Minister that he is sufficiently closely in touch with representatives of the furniture manufacturers and representatives of the employees that any urgent difficulty of this particular kind will be brought to his notice in sufficient time to enable him to deal with any matter that may be causing friction or is likely to cause friction?
That is the position.