Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Dec 1947

Vol. 109 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Allocation of Building Materials.

Mr. M. O'Sullivan

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the quantities of: (a) timber, (b) bricks, (c) cement, (d) slates or tiles, and (e) rain-water goods now available for the purposes of the building trades; the quantities of those commodities produced or imported, during the 12 months; and what steps are being taken to prevent the supply of building materials being diverted for the purpose of luxury building or other nonessential purposes.

Mr. Lemass

It is not possible to give in terms of quantities the information the Deputy has asked for, but the materials mentioned are available in sufficient quantity for the amount of building work permitted. The restrictions placed on building activity through the operations of the Control of Building Order and the Control of Timber Orders secure that the demand for building materials is kept within the limits of the supplies available, and that scarce materials are not diverted to what are called luxury buildings.

The most recent information available concerning the quantities of building materials which are produced and imported will be circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the information:—

PRODUCTION.

The following table shows the estimated production in the year ended 30th September, 1947, of such of the commodities mentioned as are included in the quarterly inquiry into volume of production of industries producing transportable goods. The figures, which are based on a sample inquiry, are preliminary and subject to amendment on the publication of the definitive figures of the census of industrial production.

Description	Unit of Quantity	Estimated Production
Sawn hard woods	Cubic foot	621,000
Sawn soft woods	load	52,000
Planed or dressed soft woods	load	18,000
Mouldings	value only—£	64,000
Builders' woodwork	value only—£	157,000
Slates for roofing—stone	ton	2,800
Slates—asbestos	,,	3,200
Cement for building	,,	286,000
Concrete bricks and blocks made for sale	,,	31,000

IMPORTS.

Imports of Timber (suitable for building purposes), Bricks, Cement, Slates and Tiles, and Rainwater Goods during the twelve months October, 1946 — September, 1947.

Official Import List No.	Description	Unit of Quantity	Quantity
	Timber:
	Sawn:
1241	Hard (mahogany, oak, etc.)	cub. ft.	733,680
	Soft (fir, pine, spruce, etc.)—
1242	Boards and planks not exceeding 1 in. in minimum thickness	load	1,948
1243	Deals, planks and boards not elsewhere specified or included	,,	53,456
1244	Other sorts of soft wood and timber	,,	4,396
	Planed or dressed wood:
1245	Floorings	load	186
1246	Other	,,	559
1250	Laths, liable to duty	cwt.	657
1252	Panel wood not veneered	sq. ft.	114,634
1294	Plywood	,,	14,578,198
482	Bricks, blocks, slabs, etc., not glazed or polished— Cement	cwt.	319
	Cement:
491	Keene's and parian	,,	199
480	Hydraulic	ton	5,166
481	Other sorts	cwt.	7,553
	Slates:
486	Cement sheets and slabs not otherwise liable	,,	1
495	Wholly or mainly manufactured — Other sorts	,,	338
	Tiles:
	Other than fireclay—
405	Floor, glazed, value not less than 6d. the tile	No.	160,219
406	,,,,value less than 6d. the tile	,,	521,244
407	,,unglazed	cwt.	14,821
410	Roofing, other sorts	,,	1,910
411	Wall and hearth, glazed, value not less than 6d. the tile	No.	326,907
412	,,,,,, glazed, value less than 6d. the tile	,,	1,412,513
413	,,,,,, unglazed	cwt.	1
414	Other sorts, glazed, value not less than 6d. the tile	No.	25,406
415	,,,, glazed, value less than 6d. the tile	,,	32,423
416	,,,, unglazed	cwt.	48
	Fireclay—
418	Glazed, value not less than 6d. the title	No.	65,522
419	,,,,less than 6d. the tile	,,	1,656,097
420	Not otherwise liable	cwt.	44
484	Cement tiles not otherwise liable	,,	4
	Rain water goods:
398-401	Sanitary ware, pipes, connections, etc. — fireclay	,,	44,964
423	Other earthenware pipes, connections, etc., — unglazed or vitrified	,,	10,028
424	Other earthenware pipes, connections, etc. — unglazed	,,	262
	Asbestos manufactures—
475	Ridgings and cappings	,,	31
476	Gutters, downpipes and sewage pipes	,,	40
	Iron and steel manufactures—
518	Constructional not fabricated — Channels	ton	276
	Tubes, pipes and fittings:
549	Cast iron external water and soil pipes, gutters and connections	cwt.	497
555	Galvanised wrought iron or steel gutters and ridgings for rain water	,,	3,610
557	Fittings for gutters and pipes, etc., liable to duty	,,	1,147
	Cast iron manufactures:
578	Grids for sewer pipes or traps	,,	183
579	Gulley traps	,,	1