asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state whether, in view of the necessity for maintaining the building industry, any special plans are being made to secure supplies of necessary materials which cannot be provided in this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supplies of Building Materials.
The circumstances of the building industry are under active examination in my Department and the requirements of the industry are the subject of discussion with the various organisations concerned. For the time being I do not anticipate any shortage of building supplies, but there may be delays in securing deliveries and difficulties are anticipated in obtaining future supplies of imported timber.
Could the Minister give us any estimate of the proportion of the national requirements of cement which Cement. Limited, is in a position to produce, now that the sources of foreign supplies are cut off?
The Deputy's information is not quite accurate. Owing to difficulties which concern prices rather than the availability of supplies, there has been a curtailment in the, distribution of cement of a purely temporary character. I understand that Cement, Limited, have informed their customers that for the present, week they can get only two-thirds of the normal requirements, but. that full normal deliveries will be resumed next week.
The advice tendered to merchants through agents, not directly, is that there were no supplies of cement available and, to my personal knowledge, certain orders have been outstanding for three weeks without any cement being forthcoming and certain towns in rural Ireland have been without cement for upwards of two weeks, with the result that individuals who are in the middle of housing work arising from the housing grants given by the Department of Local Government have had to suspend work because they could not get cement anywhere. That is true of Ballaghaderreen and I believe it to be true of the town of Roscommon as well.
Full normal deliveries will recommence on the 2nd October.
That does not accord with the advices of the amount of the ration for the week, advices which have already gone out.
The ration for this week is two-thirds of the normal requirements.
What about next week?
The full ration will be available.
"Ration" sounds like the "unit" of petrol, whatever that may mean.
What I meant to convey was that next, week every distributor of cement will be able to get his full normal supply; that is, provided there are no unforeseen eventualities
The Minister is making use of the word "ration"?
What I mean is that, as from next week, there will be full, normal deliveries.
Let me put it this way. If a man has been in the habit of getting six tons of cement a week, as from next week he will get the six tons?
That is precisely what I mean.
Deputy Dockrell's point is that such a merchant will get only four tors?
He will get four tons this week and six tons next week.
That is fair enough. A man getting six tons a week in the past will get the same supply next week.