asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the steps he is taking to bring about an increase in the use by the building industry of materials and products of Irish origin and manufacture.
Written Answers. - Use of Native Products.
377.
As far as the public sector are concerned decision makers' attention is regularly drawn by me to the need to give full consideration to Irish materials, products and services in the planning of structures and the placing of contracts. In the private sector the exhortations and services of the Irish Goods Council are directed towards the same end. In addition, An Foras Forbartha prepared and published last year the Irish Building Product Register and an updated version of this most informative volume will be available this September.
Producers of Irish building materials and products stand to benefit from the work of the IDA in identifying new outlets and matching existing domestic production facilities to the requirements of major users. Furthermore, they should benefit from the results of my request to the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards to establish Irish Standards for materials used in the building industry. In addition, I have written to the Minister for the Environment suggesting that only materials conforming to Irish Standards should be used in public sector building operations, and that Irish Standard specifications be incorporated in that Department's building regulations.
I think it advisable to point out in this connection that as a member state of EEC we do not discriminate against the products and services of other member states or restrict entry of their products in any way. Our aim is to ensure that our manufacturing and service industries, which frequently are not as firmly established as many of their competitors, are not ignored or overlooked when decisions are being taken.