asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures if his attention has been directed to a recent resolution of the Athboy Parish Council, County Meath, urging that stores of blankets and mattresses stored throughout the country for an emergency should now be offered at, or under, cost price to the local St. Vincent de Paul or other suitable benevolent society; and, in view of the urgent need of poor persons in the country for bed clothes and bedding, if he will consider some such scheme of local distribution of these supplies.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disposal of Emergency Stores.
The terms of the resolution referred to in the Deputy's question have already been brought to my notice. It would appear that the council passed their resolution on the assumption that all the blankets and mattresses were being withdrawn to Dublin. This is not so. Only a fraction of the blankets and mattresses stored throughout the country have been withdrawn, due to the unsatisfactory storage conditions. It is not the intention to dispose generally of these goods at present.