asked the Minister for the Environment if he will agree that Irish components such as cement pipes, blocks, bricks and windows, should be used in local authorities building civil engineering contracts; if he has advised county managers and county engineers of the need to insist on Irish products; if he will refuse to sanction contracts where the bills of quantities do not provide for Irish-made products; and if he agrees that this policy would help Irish workers and Irish industry.
Written Answers. - Use of Irish Components.
432.
I am fully conscious of the economic effects of the use of competing imported building materials not only in relation to the public building programme but also in so far as private building in general is concerned.
Local authorities are prohibited by the obligations of EC membership from insisting on the use of Irish materials and products in building contracts and for the same reason it is not open to me to refuse to sanction a contract because it is proposed to use imported materials. However, it has been brought to my notice from time to time that there was a need to ensure that certain imported products used in local authority contracts should be of appropriate standard. Accordingly, in those cases, I have required local authorities to ensure that only products certified as complying with the relevant Irish standards are used where such standards have been laid down by the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards. It is, of course, a matter for individual local authorities to take action at local level if they have reasonable doubts about the standard of any products being used in works where they are involved, either financially or otherwise.
I would also like to say that there is a responsibility within the building industry on designers, specifiers and contractors to ensure that Irish materials generally are not denied a reasonable opportunity of participation and that the design of projects is not such as to preclude the use of Irish materials. I have communicated my concern in this regard to local authorities.