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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Jun 1944

Vol. 94 No. 7

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cement Supply.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of the hold-up in the building trade owing to the scarcity of cement, resulting in growing unemployment; and if he will state the output of the cement industry in Éire and how it has been allocated.

The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is in the affirmative. Before the recent restrictions on the manufacture of cement, due to difficulties in the coal and electricity supply position, the production of cement was about 180,000 tons per annum and was distributed freely through the recognised trade channels.

Is the Minister aware that last week upwards of 500 or 600 workers in the building trade lost employment because of the failure to supply cement and timber? Is anything being done to provide facilities to get the timber and the extra cement required so as to keep these people employed building houses for the working classes?

There was no change in the position concerning timber last week. The production of cement is temporarily stopped.

Could the Minister give any indication, in the hope of steadying employment in the building trade, that supplies of cement may be available, say, next month, or is the position bleaker than that?

I informed the Dáil that we had ceased the production of cement in this month to save the electricity involved. The intention is that the production of cement will be resumed next month. To what extent it will be possible to resume has, however, still to be decided, but cement production will be resumed. I think, however, that it may be taken for granted that, for some time to come, cement will be available only for important purposes.

So that, for normal building purposes, it would not be safe to assume that cement supplies will be available next month?

Normal building purposes is a phrase I should not like to define. Some building is important, some can be postponed without any loss of efficiency or inconvenience to anybody. The most I can hope for is to maintain the supply of cement for important building and constructional purposes.

Dealing with timber, is the Minister aware that timber is available if wagons were available to carry the timber to the sawmills?

Is it true that a large number of wagons are lying idle because they require very minor repairs which are not being done? That is the official report that came before the Corporation Housing Committee—that wagons were not available to draw the timber necessary to continue the building schemes.

Is the production of cement depending solely on electricity for power?

Coal is an essential material in the manufacture of cement, but it could not be undertaken without electricity. The cement industry is the biggest single user of electricity in the country.

Will the Minister inquire about wagons which require minor repairs not being available?

I think the Deputy is misinformed but, as the matter does not arise, I could not attempt to put him right now.

Will the Minister inquire?

It has nothing to do with it.

What are we to do?

The Deputy should have regard for order in his supplementary questions. The basic question relates to cement, but the supplementary is about railway wagons requiring repair.

For timber.

Quite, timber, not cement.

The Minister gave me an opportunity of stating that both timber and cement were not available for housing schemes and I made a statement that we cannot get the wagons to draw the timber. The timber is available if we had the wagons.

Question No. 15.

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