asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state whether the contractor to the Cork Corporation for the building of 198 houses at Baker's Lane, Cork, ordered the railings for these houses from England or some place outside the Republic of Ireland; and, if so, whether his Department sanctioned the order, the reason for its so doing and, further, whether he will now take steps to prevent the importing of these railings again.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Import of Railings.
The approved specification for this housing scheme contained a clause designed to give effect to the general requirement that for local authority housing schemes all materials, appliances and fittings should, wherever possible, be of Irish manufacture. I understand from the Cork Corporation that the contractors imported a portion of the materials for the railings and gates, that the items so imported were not available in Ireland and that the remainder of the material for railings and gates, comprising 90 per cent. of the whole, is of Irish manufacture and fabrication. This matter did not come before my Department for sanction, since, under the contract, it rested within the discretion of the architect for the scheme.
As regards future policy, in view of the high cost of iron railings and the need to conserve stocks of iron, I propose to have such railings excluded altogether from schemes now being planned and to have other forms of fencing substituted.