asked the Minister for Finance whether, in the granting of loans to farmers under the Landed Property Improvements Act for the erection of hay and cattle sheds, he would be prepared to stipulate that the buildings to be erected should be manufactured in the Saorstát.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ERECTION OF HAY AND CATTLE SHEDS.
TOMAS MAC EOIN
The haybarns erected under the loans referred to in the question are iron structures and are for the most part roofed with corrugated iron. The materials are necessarily imported, but the firms who contract for buildings, with one exception, have works in Ireland, and the preparation of the materials as well as the actual erection of the buildings is therefore almost entirely done by Irish workmen. Some of the barns are roofed with Graves' patent roofing, which is manufactured in Ireland, but we would not feel justified in stipulating for the use of this material to the exclusion of corrugated iron. The same remarks apply to cattle sheds constructed of iron, but such sheds are more often built of masonry and are frequently slated; in such cases we stipulate that Irish materials should be used as far as possible.
No change in the existing practice appears to be called for.
Has the Minister had complaints of the quantity of materials which are only assembled here, as contrasted with other iron structures which are largely prepared for assembly here?
I am not aware of having received any complaints in this direction.