asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the "Buy Irish" campaign, he has advised all State-sponsored bodies under the aegis of his Department to support the campaign; and if he will indicate the amount of foreign purchases of manufactured goods, on contract or otherwise, by his Department and by the State-sponsored bodies in the past 12 months, excluding goods which are not manufactured in Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Foreign Goods Purchases.
21.
No goods of the type referred to were purchased by my Department for use at Headquarters during the past 12 months. The Deputy will appreciate that our offices abroad must make local purchases. Such purchases, spread over 31 offices abroad, are estimated to have amounted to about £30,000 during the past 12 months.
As it happens, the Agency for Personal Service Overseas, which comes under the aegis of the Department, have made no foreign purchases of manufactured goods where similar goods are available from Irish manufacturers. The foreign purchases made by the Agency for Personal Service Overseas amounted to £1,000.
Is it not true that occasionally the furniture branch of the Office of Public Works deliver special furniture to Embassy buildings? I think they did this a couple of years ago when they sent furniture to Washington.
That is quite true.