asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the amount and value of yarn imported into Éire; if he is aware that manufacturers who have mills and machinery for spinning yarn have left these mills idle; and in view of the large amount of this commodity imported and the large number of mill workers idle he will take steps to encourage the use of home-spun yarn in the manufacture of cloth in Éire.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Imported Yarn.
The imports of woollen and worsted yarns during the nine months ended September, 1938, the latest month for which figures are available, were 2,778,218 lbs., valued at £407,928.
I am not aware that the home production of woollen yarns for the manufacture of which existing plants are specially equipped has declined appreciably, taking into consideration the relative quantities of cloth produced.
There is a substantial demand for worsted yarns, but up to the present there has been only a very limited output of these yarns in the country. Arrangements have, however, been made by the establishment of special worsted spinning plants to increase substantially the home production of worsted yarns and steps have been taken to encourage the use of home-spun yarn by the imposition of a duty of 33 1/3rd per cent. on imported yarns.