asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether his Department have made any investigations on the effect of the cement strike on the building industry and other sectors of the economy.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Effect of Cement Strike.
50.
No; statements have been made by the building industry and other interests concerning the serious effects of this strike on employment, production and investment but I do not think it would be either feasible or useful at the present time to make an investigation into its effects.
Is the Minister seriously saying that his Department have made no assessment of the situation arising from the cement strike? Is he saying he merely reads the newspapers?
We have made our own assessments——
What are those assessments?
——that a number of people are out of employment——
That is a great discovery.
That is indeed tremendous.
Can the Minister state the effects on the economy? He certainly has an obligation to see that business in the building industry continues. Has the Minister come to any conclusion?
I have been asked if I have made any investigations into the effect of the cement strike on the building industry and my reply has been "no".
Brostaigh ort.
The Deputy should keep his hair on.
That is called unflappability.